Star of David
by doodlegirll
Summary: A package arrives at NCIS, containing a broken Star of David necklace. Tony, realizing how much Ziva really means to him, soon finds himself entangled in an elaborate plan to save her...but can he survive it himself? TIVA
1. Prologue

**So I am very well aware that Ziva's Star of David necklace is becoming somewhat of an icon of the inevitable rescue, but no seriously, it's a good basis! My first thought after I saw "Aliyah" was 'Wow...I need to write a fanfiction containing that necklace!' So I sat down, and this is what happened. **

**Let me start out by saying that I haven't been watching NCIS very long (only the past year and a half) so this is definitely not going to be the best fanfic you've ever read, but with the help of my wonderful best friend and beta reader, Lacey (Born0fVengence), I think I can pull it off. **

**Here's the first chapter, which is really a prologue...please read, and review! I need all the help I can get!**

**PS- This chapter is unbetaed...**

**_Disclaimer: NCIS not mine. Darn.

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**Star of David**

_By doodlegirll_

***

_Shoonk._

The old, rusty latch slid away, and the door creaked open. Loud, heavy footsteps echoed through the empty room as the man crossed over to stand in front of the bound figure. He dropped his cigarette, and smothered it with his boot before a hand reached out and grasped the thin gold chain around the figure's neck. Tugging it, the chain snapped, and he held the tiny Star of David in his hand. He studied it for a moment, before his hand lashed back out and he grabbed a handful of dirty brown hair. He hauled the head of the victim back, awakening her and eliciting an involuntary gasp of pain.

To those that knew her, Ziva David was almost unrecognizable. After only days on the Hamas ship, bruises dotted her swollen face and covered the rest of her body. Her left eye was almost swollen shut, and dried blood seeped from a cut on her forehead. Rarely one to show signs of weakness – she had, after all, been trained against all forms of emotion – Ziva's eyes pricked with tears as she stared up into the face of Mohab Amir, leader of the rogue Mossad agents, and her own personal tormentor.

Amir's cold brown eyes stared down at her battered face mercilessly.

"Tell me everything you know," he hissed. "About NCIS."

Ziva swallowed, and stared up at him, faced him bravely, defiance building in her tired eyes.

"The coffee sucks." She rasped, her throat dry from lack of hydration and disuse. "The vending machines have nothing good."

Amir tightened his grip on her hair.

"I think, Ms. David, it would be in your best interest – and in the interest of your American friends – that you tell me what I want to know."

Ziva laughed, lightly. "I will tell you nothing."

Amir slapped her across the face.

"Stubborn bitch!" He said in Hebrew. "We will find a way to get you to talk." He looked at the small charm still clenched in his other hand. He smiled, slowly. "And I think I know a way." Stuffing the necklace into his pocket, he walked from the room, leaving Ziva alone.

He slammed the door closed and bolted it shut once more. Turning to his comrade, he smiled.

"Get me a video camera, and get in touch with our sources in America." He fished the necklace out again. "We need to know who to send a little package to at NCIS."


	2. Chapter 1

**Here's my unbetaed chapter two! Sorry for the delay!**

**Special thanks to my friend Olivia for helping me write the drugbust! She picked up my notebook one day and originally I was going to call this chapter "Mysterious Handwriting" and she thought it would be fun to write something, since it wasn't my handwriting, and I decided I could use it as a drugbust report. :) She didn't like that too much, but she liked the fact that I promised to use it! Thanks, Livi!**

**Sorry for an OOCness found in this chapter; I'm not used to writing Tony at all!!**

**_Disclaimer: NCIS not mine.

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**Star of David**

_By doodlegirll_

***

**Chapter One**

_I crept quietly into the night, if only I hadn't fallen out of my window, I wouldn't be so freaked out._

_When I got the call at 11 PM on my cell phone that I was needed, I didn't think much of it. Until they brought up money._

_"200 dollars!?" I gasped on the phone. "For how much?" They told me. "I'll be there." I said and hung up the phone."_

Agent Anthony DiNozzo sighed as he closed the folder containing the drug bust statement, made by a teenage girl named Olivia, and pushed it to the corner of his desk. He rubbed his tired eyes with his one good hand, looking up to gaze across the bullpen at Ziva's empty desk.

It had been a little over a month since he and the team had left her in Tel Aviv, and in that time, Tony had found himself glancing up at the desk in the middle of lunch, or looking over his shoulder as he filed away yet another report, almost as though he expected her to appear there, smiling and throwing paper balls at him, or making another idiom about something to do with the way things were going that day. There were times when he could almost hear her voice, her laughter, and many times he had blinked to find her once again gone.

How he regretted his decision to let that plane take off without telling her outright how sorry he was for what he had done. How he wished that one day soon he would look up to see her there, back where she belonged, like she did in his dreams every night, and things could go back to the way they used to be before he had shot Michael Rivkin.

And yet, no matter how hard he tried to make it so, she never reappeared.

The team was sympathetic towards him, not only about his not being able to go out on the field to murder sites to take pictures and investigate anymore thanks to his fractured arm – courtesy of Michael Rivkin – and was bound to deskwork for the next three months, but also because of his "loss," as Abby had so dotingly put it as she had hugged him upon his return to the States when they had had a moment alone. It was no secret that Tony cared for Ziva, and for a while, Tony had thought – had hoped – Ziva had returned the feeling. Sure, they were partners, and he knew she cared about him in that sense, but over time, he had grown to care for her much more than that.

Things had been different with Kate. Sure, he had loved her, but more as a little sister than someone he was romantically interested in. And Kate had only been his partner for little over two years. Ziva had been there for him for _four years. _She had stuck with him, been on his six, for four years. It took a lot to put up with Tony DiNozzo, but especially for that long a time. It was a wonder Gibbs had put up with him that long…

Tony was brought out of his stupor by a man stepping in front of his desk, clad in a brown UPS uniform, a small package in one hand, a clipboard in the other. He cleared his throat, and Tony straightened up.

"Yes? Can I help you?" He asked, politely.

"I'm looking for a Leroy Jethro Gibbs?" The man said, looking at the clipboard. "I have a package for him."

"He's not here right now; he's investigating a case." Tony said. "I'm Special Agent Tony DiNozzo, his senior agent. When Gibbs is gone, I'm in charge."

The UPS man nodded. "Then could you sign this for me?" He said, indicating the clipboard. "It's international delivery."

Tony's eyes narrowed in confusion, but he took the clipboard from the man and signed it, handing it back to him. The package was given in return.

"Thank you, sir. Have a nice day." The UPS man said.

"Yeah." Tony muttered as he stared at the unfamiliar handwriting on the front of the package. "You too."

At that moment, the elevator opened, and Gibbs walked out, McGee close behind. He had a cup of coffee in his hands, and he looked fairly triumphant, obviously from a successful case. He walked past Tony, who didn't acknowledge his arrival, and sat down at his desk, McGee doing the same.

"Since when do you get mail, DiNozzo?" He asked.

"Well," Tony said, standing. "Technically it's for you, but I signed for it, since you weren't here."

Gibbs looked at him. "Well?"

"Well what?"

"Aren't you going to open it?"

"It's addressed to you, boss." Tony said. "International postage."

"You signed for it." Gibbs said. "You open it."

Tony looked steadily at his boss for a moment before sitting back down, grabbing a pair of scissors from the drawer and opening the package, tearing away the brown packaging paper and tape.

Inside he found a videotape, and a small white envelope. The envelope had nothing printed on it, and the tape was not marked. He took the tape from the box and examined it for a moment, looking at Gibbs.

"What do you think it is, boss?" He asked.

Gibbs shook his head. "Why don't you give it to McGee and find out?" He suggested.

Tony turned to McGee. "Probie, head's up!" He said, tossing the tape to the geek. McGee caught it. "Ooh, nice catch there, Probie. Been playing football in our spare time instead of videogames, have we?"

"Actually, yes, I have." McGee said. "And I have to be fast now that I'm the one doing all the bagging _and _tagging on site, since you're stuck here doing deskwork."

Tony glared at him. "That one hurt, McGee." He said.

McGee smiled and popped the tape into a VCR, typing on the computer to try and get it to play on the plasma. As he did so, Tony's attention was drawn back to the blank envelope. Picking it up, he found that it was not sealed, but rather the flap had been folded inside the envelope itself. It felt slightly heavy, like there was something inside it. Reaching inside, Tony's fingers brushed something cool and smooth, and when he pulled it out, he felt his blood run cold and his mouth go dry.

In his hand he held a small gold Star of David. It was weather worn, with much of its once shiny luster gone, replaced with smudges and what appeared to be dried blood. The chain attached to it was broken, as though it had been ripped from its owner's possession.

Tony knew this necklace, oh too well.

In fact, he couldn't remember a time when he had seen it off from around the neck of the woman who usually wore it, the woman Tony missed with every fibre of his being, the woman Tony wished with all his heart he could wake up from this horrible nightmare and see across the bullpen at her desk, where she belonged.

_Ziva._

At that moment, McGee got the tape working, and an image popped up on the plasma. It showed a dark room, presumably a warehouse or basement, with dirty windows in the background, so caked with mud that barely any light was able to shine through. In front of the camera stood a uniformed man, his dark hair shorn, a large gun on his back. He was, as far as anyone could tell, tanned in skin color, and had dark eyes that were filled with animosity and overall malevolence. A cigarette glowed and smoked from its position between his teeth, and his hands were behind his back, casually. He smiled at the camera.

"Hello, Agent Gibbs." He said, his voice thick with what appeared to be a Middle Eastern accent. "My name is Mohab Amir, and I am contacting you in regards to your agent, Ms. Ziva David."

Gibbs, McGee, and Tony were out of their seats in an instant, standing in front of the plasma. Tony clenched the Star of David tightly in his fist, his green eyes wide as he stared at the screen in front of him.

Amir stepped aside to reveal two armed men, also clad in uniforms, standing on either side of a bound figure in a chair. Despite the figure's grungy appearance, the team knew who it was immediately.

Ziva's hair was dirty and tangled. Her wrists and ankles were bound to the sturdy wooden chair, and she stared defiantly at the camera with tired eyes. Her left eye was swollen and purple, and cuts, dried blood, and bruises littered her face and forehead. Her lips were dry and split, and Tony felt an almost uncontrollable rage building up inside him as the camera zoomed in closer. Ziva's breathing was harsh and labored, and she looked as though she had been through a series of painful encounters with a tiger shark, which probably wasn't too far from the truth.

The camera panned back out and focused on Amir.

"As you can see, your lovely Ziva is alive, and relatively in one piece. If you ever want to see her again, I suggest you do as we say and give us the information we want. In the envelope, you will find a little something , along with a slip of paper with a phone number on it. Call that number, and we will tell you what to do from there." His eyes were serious. "Do not try to find her on your own. I can assure you that you will not."

He walked over to where Ziva sat, helpless, and grasped her hair in his hand.

"Anything you'd like to say to your friends in America, Ziva?" He said.

Ziva stared up at him, defiantly. "They will tell you nothing, as will I." She said, her voice so hoarse and dry that Tony felt the anger climbing to a dangerous level.

"Oh, but I think they will, Ms. David." Amir said, smiling coldly. "Now, tell them goodbye. With any luck, you will see them again."

He let go of her hair, and pushed her head back. The camera zoomed in on his face, and the smile disappeared.

"You have twenty four hours to respond, Agent Gibbs." He said. "I suggest you do so."

With that, the screen went black, and the three agents looked at each other.

"What are we going to do, boss?" Tony asked. He opened his hand, looking at the necklace. He had held it so tightly it had left the shape of the little Star of David in his palm.

Gibbs looked at his agents. "McGee, I want you to get Director Vance on the line. I want to talk to him. Tony, get that necklace and envelope to Abby's lab. I want it dusted for prints, and tagged as evidence. Take the piece of paper with the phone number on it too. I want to make sure it's authentic before we try to call it. These are terrorists we're dealing with, and they have Ziva." He started for the elevator.

McGee and Tony nodded. "On it, boss."

Tony grabbed the envelope from his desk and ran after Gibbs to the elevator.

_Oh God, _he thought. _What are we going to do? _


	3. Chapter 2

**Wow, two updates in one day! I'm on a roll here!**

**Thanks to all of you who have reviewed this story so far. :) Please keep them coming! Don't forget to review the last chapter, and this one as well!**

**Again, sorry for any OCCness. I'm still new at this!**

**_Disclaimer: NCIS not mine.

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**Star of David**

_By doodlegirll_

***

**Chapter Two**

There was no sound in the dusty room but the sound of her taking in ragged breath after ragged breath. Her tormentors had not been back in a long while, and Ziva could not quite understand why. Usually the rogue Mossad agents liked to pay her a visit once every two hours or so, and while Ziva reveled in the bliss that came from not being beaten half to death, she knew it would not last.

Ziva had not been here very long. A week or so, she reasoned. Then again, when you tended to drift in and out of consciousness, you also tended to lose track of time, very easily.

Every single time she lost consciousness, every time the velvety darkness wrapped her in their comforting arms, Ziva dreamt. Sometimes of her father, sometimes of her childhood, sometimes even of Michael, but most of the time, Ziva dreamt of NCIS. She dreamt that she was back at what she now considered her true home, back in DC, surrounded by teammates that cared for her. She imagined that she was trapped in a horrible nightmare, and that in the morning she would wake to find herself back in her warm bed, safe, and without pain.

Her dreams allowed Ziva to escape from the hell on earth she was currently experiencing, allowed her to find comfort, and a will to survive. She drew strength from her dreams, and from the people in them.

And while many people walked with her in her drifting dreams, Ziva found that Tony was her most frequent visitor.

_Oh Tony,_ she thought. _What have I done?_

Ziva felt tears prick her sore eyelids as she thought of Tony. A part of her wanted to blame him for everything that to her here, for all of this – after all, he _had _shot Rivkin – but the other half told her she had absolutely no one to blame but herself. She was the one had stayed behind in Israel and agreed to finish Rivkin's mission, to complete his suicidal task. She was the one who had let herself be found out and captured aboard this Godforsaken ship. She had betrayed her family at NCIS by leaving them, and she didn't blame them one bit if they hated her for it. Hell, she hated herself for it.

Sometimes, when she dreamt, the events that had led up to this horrific incident played across her mental stage, resurfacing memories she wished would stay buried in the corners of her mind. Sometimes she would see Michael lying there on the floor, bleeding, Tony not far away with a gun in his hand. And sometimes, it was opposite that. Sometimes, it was _Tony_ lying on the floor, dying, while _Michael _stood over him, the gun still pointed at him as he smiled fiendishly. Ziva often awoke from these dreams – nightmares – screaming Tony's name.

While she could not deny that she had had feelings for Rivkin, she had always had feelings for her charismatic partner, for Tony. And for a while, Ziva had thought Tony had feelings for her, too…

Tony had claimed Michael had been coming at him with the piece of glass that had impaled him in the side. Ziva had read his report, numerous times, memorizing it, trying to make sense of it all. She wanted to believe Tony, but at the same time, she wanted to know Michael's side as well.

Ziva knew Michael had betrayed her, more so than Tony ever had. He had wormed his way back into her life, after so many years, only to turn around and stab her in the back. He had been sent to this country by her father to make her fall in love with him, that she knew, very well. He had sent Michael to America because he knew Ziva trusted him, and would not suspect him of espionage. He had sent Michael to gather intel, to bargain for weapons, and to kill her. Her apartment had been blown up in such a manner that only a trained Mossad agent would now how to do.

Ziva remembered watching the plane take off in Tel Aviv, taking her family, her true family, and Tony, with it. She remembered feeling a part of her heart breaking, right there and then, in a way that Rivkin's death had not.

She remembered the harsh words she had spoken to Tony in their brief encounter after their arrival at Mossad Headquarters, the way she had reacted, flipping him onto his back, even with knowledge of his injured arm, the way she had shoved his gun into his chest, the way he had dared her to do it, to shoot him, to end it all.

God, how could she?

Ziva knew she would never have been able to shoot him, just as she would never really be able to hate him. She remembered his explanation, why he had done the things he had.

_"Then what did you do it for, Tony? Hm?"_

_"For you."_

She had been so frustrated at the time, so blind with emotion, she had not meant half of the things she had said. She had been unwilling to listen to what Tony had had to say, because at that moment, she was not even able to listen to herself.

Now she wished she could take back all those words, the words that had obviously rocked Tony to his core, to his heart. She knew her partner well, and that he would never show just how much her words had stung, like the bite of a rabid dog.

And now, she feared that she would never be able to tell him how sorry she really was.

So when she dreamt of Tony, Ziva drew in the love she knew she had for him, and that he had for her, the strength and the will to hold on another day, to pull out of this nightmare, to survive.


	4. Chapter 3

_Sorry for the long wait!_

_This summer has been a whirlwind for me, and it's almost as if July didn't even happen. I had summer camp with my church for a week, then I had a family emergency down in Arkansas and just got back. And now we've brought home our new eight week old Shih Tzu puppy, Jethro (and yes, we __did _name him after Gibbs!), and he kept me up half the night last night, so at least I have an alibi...

_Anyway, enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: NCIS not mine._

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**Star of David**

_By doodlegirll_

***

**Chapter Three**

Tony sighed as he strummed his fingers on his desk impatiently as he stared at his computer screen.

It had been little over an hour since he and the team had discovered that their Ziva was in trouble, and in that time, Tony had been restless. He had delivered the envelope and the Star of David to Abby as instructed, and explained to the young Goth what was going on.

Abby had immediately set to work, and Tony had gone back upstairs, where he currently sat, doing _absolutely nothing of consequence. _

And frankly, he was getting tired of just sitting there.

Tony wanted to be _doing _something. That was his partner, _the woman he loved_, on that ransom tape. That was _her _Star of David.

But worst of all, Tony blamed himself for everything. Everything that was happening right now was his fault.

If he had only just trusted Ziva, if he had just minded his own business and not shot Rivkin, maybe none of this would have happened. Maybe Ziva would still be in the States, safe, and among friends, not in the hands of a terrorist, enduring God-knows-what.

_God, _he thought. _She's all alone._

The phone on his desk rang, and Tony had it in his hand before the second ring.

"DiNozzo." He said.

"Tony, I have the results!" It was Abby.

"We'll be down in a minute." Tony said, and hung up the phone. Standing to his feet, he looked at Gibbs and McGee.

"That was Abby. She has something."

Gibbs stood to his feet, McGee not far behind, and the three headed for the elevator.

As soon as the doors opened, they emerged into Abby's lab.

Abby stood with her back facing them, her head bowed as though praying, her hands clenching the edge of the counter so tightly her knuckles were white. On her computer screen was a picture of Ziva's ID.

"Abby." Gibbs said, walking towards the forensic scientist.

Abby's head snapped up.

"Everything okay?"

"No, everything is not okay!" Abby said. "Everything is definitely _not _okay, Gibbs!"

"What have you got for us, Abbs?" Gibbs asked.

Abby picked up a plastic baggie. Inside was the Star of David.

"I was able to get a couple fingerprints off of Ziva's necklace." She said. "And a sample of that stain." She chewed her bottom lip. "The DNA came back as Ziva's."

"What about the fingerprints?"

"Well, one of them was Tony's." Abby said, turning back to her computer, typing. "I'm still waiting for the results of the other one."

"What about that number Amir said was on the paper?" McGee said.

"Ah, yes." Abby said. "Thank you, Timmy."

She held up another plastic baggie.

"I ran a scan on the number our alleged terrorist sent us. It's authentic, but I wasn't able to trace it to any particular place. All I got was somewhere in or near Africa."

"Keep running it. I want a location." Gibbs said. "Until then, no one is to call that number. It might be a trap, for all we know."

Tony swallowed, and looked down at the plastic bag on the counter in front of him. Ziva's necklace glistened inside, and somehow, he couldn't tear his eyes away from it.

"Tony."

Tony was brought out of his stupor by Abby waving a hand in his face. He looked up, blinking.

"Gibbs left almost two minutes ago. Aren't you going back upstairs?" She said.

"Oh, yeah." Tony said. "Sorry, Abby, I was just…"

Abby smiled sympathetically. "I know, Tony." She said. "And I'm doing everything I can, okay? We'll find Ziva, I promise."

"I know." Tony sighed. "It's just…God, Abby, I did that to her."

Abby's face became stern. "Tony, none of this is your fault. Terrorists did this."

"Yeah, I know, Abby, but if I hadn't stuck my nose where it wasn't welcome, maybe none of this would have happened."

Abby narrowed her eyes. "You were worried, Tony." She said.

"That doesn't excuse what I did." Tony said quietly. "And now Ziva's the one suffering for it."

Abby chewed her lip for a minute before reaching into the plastic bag and bringing out Ziva's necklace. She handed it to Tony.

"Here." She said. "You need this more than I do. I have all the forensics I need."

Tony looked at it. "But it's evidence. Gibbs would freak if he knew."

Abby smiled. "Then he won't find out."

She turned back to her computer, clicking away at the keys on the keyboard. Tony's fist closed around the precious necklace, and he promised himself he would find a way to save her.

Tony's eyes wandered to the other plastic baggies littering the table in front of him. He spied the one with the slip of paper inside, and he swallowed, glancing at Abby.

_This is my fault. _He thought. _Not the team's. I should be the one to go out there and find her. I owe her that much. _

Very carefully, Tony reached out and picked up the plastic bag, stuffing it in the pocket of his jacket. He turned and left the lab, heading back upstairs.

***

Later that night, after the rest of the day being nothing short of a dead end (other than Abby confirming that the other fingerprints on Ziva's necklace were Mohab Amir's), Tony sat in his apartment, alone. The TV blared behind him, obviously tuned to one of Tony's movie channels, but Tony wasn't paying it any attention. In fact, he wasn't even facing the television at all.

Instead, the small slip of paper with the phone number on it occupied his attention.

_You have twenty four hours to respond. _

Amir's sneer echoed through Tony's mind, sending chills down his spine. What would he do if no one responded in twenty four hours?

No one had missed the slip of paper. McGee had brought up the idea of calling the number, and but Gibbs had shot down that option.

"We're not doing anything until we have more intel, McGee." He said. "And that includes calling that number."

"But, boss," McGee started nervously, obviously not used to back talking Gibbs. "What if they, you know, hurt her if we don't?"

"These are terrorists, McGee. They spread terror." Vance, who had come to oversee the team's progress, chipped in. "They obviously need her; they won't hurt her."

Tony turned the slip of paper over and over between his fingers, transfixed as though in a daze.

Could he really call this number, and help rescue Ziva all on his own? Could he really do this without the team?

Still, the image of Ziva, broken and bruised, in that video haunted him. He couldn't shake the guilt that racked his body, and he knew what he had to do.

He set the paper down on the table, and picked up his cell, dialing the number and putting it to his ear.

_"Ah, Agent Gibbs. I knew you would call." _Amir answered the phone.

"This isn't Agent Gibbs." Tony said. "This is Senior Agent Anthony DiNozzo. I'm calling in regards to a Special Agent Ziva David. I have a bargain to make…"


	5. Chapter 4

**Well, after a few near sleepless nights up with the newly named Rex, I have finally got this chapter pounded out!**

**Please excuse any OCCness...I'm still not quite used to this!**

**Also, does anyone know where I can find a good and credible English to Hebrew transliteration? If anyone has any information, I could really use it, and I would really appreciate it!!**

_Disclaimer: NCIS not mine._

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**Star of David**

_By doodlegirll_

***

**Chapter Four**

Mohab Amir was not one to bargain.

It was his way, or no way. End of story.

Amir was a terrorist, and everyone knew that terrorists did not negotiate well. It was just a matter of stereotypical truth.

But when he got the call from Gibbs' senior agent, the infamous Anthony DiNozzo Amir and his men had gotten intel about from one of their people in America, Amir found himself more than willing to listen to what DiNozzo had to say.

_"A bargain?" _Amir said. _"I must warn you, Agent DiNozzo, I do not 'bargain'…"_

_"I know. You're a terrorist. It's not something you do." DiNozzo said, matter-a-factly. "Now listen. Gibbs has no idea that I'm contacting you, and I'm pretty sure that if he did, he'd have my badge in a second. I'm calling because at this point, I'm willing to do anything to get Ziva back."_

Amir had smirked at this comment.

His intel had made it very aware that Agent DiNozzo had feelings for Officer David. In fact, when their beloved Gibbs had been injured once, and DiNozzo had been given the title of boss, he and Ms. David had been almost inseparable, spending time together at DiNozzo's apartment, as well as her own, going to dinner, the works. A budding romance.

_"Go on." _Amir said, interested.

_"Look, I'm willing to do anything. Just tell me what you want, and I'll do it. You want ransom? You got it." _DiNozzo said.

_"We want information, Agent DiNozzo, not money." _Amir said.

_"Fine, whatever. What do you want me to do?" _

Amir noted that Agent DiNozzo was beginning to sound desperate. Obviously his informant was credible.

_"All right, Agent DiNozzo." _Amir said after a moment's thought. _"I will take your information instead of Agent Gibbs'. Now listen closely: I want you to get on a flight to Tel Aviv within the next twenty four hours. You are not to go into work tomorrow, and you are not to tell anyone of your whereabouts, understood? You are to do as we say, and do it exactly as we tell you. No ' highway' options available." _

DiNozzo, too, was quiet for a minute or two, contemplating whether or not he was truly willing to go behind the work that he loved and rescue his beloved Ziva.

_"Deal." _He said.

Amir smiled. _"Good. Now, once you get to Tel Aviv, I want you to call this number once more, and I will give you your further instructions. Good luck, Agent DiNozzo. If you do as we say, you will see your Ziva again. Goodbye." _

He went to hang up when DiNozzo stopped him.

_"Wait!" _He said, his voice serious. _"Don't hurt Ziva, got it? If you hurt her any more than you already have, I swear to God you'll live to regret it. Understood? You hurt her, and not only will I not give you any information, I will kill every single one of you, got it?!"_

So the man was a contortionist.

_"Understood, Agent DiNozzo. See you soon." _

With that, he hung up.

Amir smiled as he turned back to his men, Jamid and Tamul.

"It seems that there is a slight change in plans." He said. "It seems that Officer David's partner at NCIS has offered us intel in exchange for her safe return." He smirked. "I think Ms. David will be quite pleased to see her beloved Anthony again."

Tamul and Jamid nodded.

"Let us pay her a visit, shall we?" Amir said, lighting a cigarette and inhaling deeply.

"Are we going to…" Tamul started, allowing Amir to fill in the blanks.

"No." Amir said. "I said she would not be harmed any further, and we all know…" Amir smiled coldly. "That I am a man of my word."

Jamid and Tamul looked at each other, grinning slyly.

The three walked out of the room and down the hallway towards the room where Ziva was being held. Amir unlatched the door, and he and his comrades stepped into the room.

"I have a surprise for you, Ms. David." Amir said upon entering. "I do believe you will enjoy it."

Ziva looked up. Over the past week, the swelling around her eye had gone down, and she was able to see more and more out of it, thought, she reasoned, there was not much to see in this cell, other than dirt and grim, and the occasional spider on the wall. There was minimal sunlight, and Ziva had never longed to feel the warmth of the life-giving sun and a light breeze on her face as much as she did now. She also noted that while her captors still visited her regularly, they did not beat her as they used to, except for the occasional slap to the face.

She laughed, bitterly. "What could you possibly have in store that you believe I would actually enjoy?" She spat in Hebrew.

Amir smirked.

"I wish to inform you that we have received a response to our little ransom video." He said. "From one of your little friends in America."

Ziva swallowed, trying not to show any emotion, but on the inside she was screaming. Surely Gibbs would not have…

"Who?" She asked finally.

Amir walked in circles around her. "I do believe you know him. He was a teammate of yours, a certain partner…"

"Tony." Ziva whispered.

"That is correct." Amir said. "Agent DiNozzo was kind enough to call us, and he has agreed to meet us to exchange your freedom for the information we desire."

"He will not tell you anything." Ziva said. "Tony is not stupid. He will tell you nothing."

Amir chuckled darkly. "Oh, Ms. David, I think you will find that Agent DiNozzo will be more than willing to give us whatever we want." He continued walking around her. "You see, we do have an informant in America, someone in DC that has told us all about your relationship with Anthony DiNozzo."

"What have you heard?"

Amir smiled. "Ah, now that I will not tell you. All you need to know is that we will get the information we want."

Ziva's fists curled, and she wished that she still had enough strength to fight the ropes that bound her here, kept her in this living hell. How she wished she could lash out at Amir, claw at his face, beat him as he had beat her, for getting Tony into this.

Amir patted her sore cheek. "Sleep tight, Ziva. Soon, you and your beloved Tony will be reunited."

With that, he and his companions left, slamming the door behind them.

Ziva could hardly believe what was happening. Surely Tony would not have just put himself on the line as Amir had said he had. Surely he was smarter than that…

It suddenly occurred to Ziva that Amir did not actually _need_ the information he was trying to force from her. If he truly had an informant in America as he said he did, an informant that knew all about the relationship between her and Tony, then he already knew everything he wanted, possibly more.

_He is bringing Tony here to use him against me. _Ziva thought. _Oh, God, Tony…please forgive me. _

Ziva, for the first time since she had been taken captive, began to cry.


	6. Chapter 5

**I am on a roll!**

**With a cracked rib, I've had little to do today but write, so I now bestow upon you a new chapter!**

**Please review, and thank you for those of you who have given me such AWESOME reviews!**

_Disclaimer: NCIS not mine._

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**Star of David**

_By doodlegirll_

***

**Chapter Five**

He had called in sick, claiming that his arm was giving him a lot of problems today, that he had slept on it wrong.

Tony absolutely hated lying to everyone. He hated it as much as he hated being lied to. That's why it was always better to the truth. Wouldn't you want your friends and teammates to tell you the truth? If you did, you told them the truth, and nothing but the truth. Once trust was betrayed, it took a long time, sometimes never again, to gain it back.

Tony knew this all too well.

His cell phone rang, and Tony looked down at the caller ID. It was Abby.

_Should I answer it? _Tony thought. 

Tony was torn. If he didn't answer it, Abby might get suspicious and tell Gibbs, or worse, come looking for him, only to find his apartment empty and void of any life, and then she really _would _go to Gibbs. He and Abby had grown increasingly closer ever since she had almost sent him to prison when Chip had framed him, and she had been trying ever since to amend the nonexistent rift between them, trying to make it up to him.

And, hadn't she kept her promise and not told anyone about him accessing Ziva's records?

In the end, Tony decided to answer it.

_"Tony DiNozzo, what did you do?" _Abby demanded. _"I **know**__you're not up to what I think you're up to."_

_"And what might that be, Abbs?" _Tony tried to sound suave, but he found his bravado slipping through the cracks by the second.

_"The slip of paper with the phone number on it is _missing, _Tony, and you were the last one in my lab yesterday! You're the only one who could have taken it!"_

He swallowed. _"Are you sure you didn't just misplace it, Abby?" _

_"I don't misplace things, Tony!" _Abby said. _"You took it, didn't you? And now you're going after Ziva." _

That was it. The jig was up.

_"Abby…" _He started.

_"So you **did **take it, and you **are **going after Ziva!" _Abby was beginning to sound frightened. _"Tony, please don't go. We can't lose someone else. Please, don't do this." _

_"I have to, Abbs." _Tony said, sounding truly regretful. _"I did this to her. I have to save her." _

_"Then do it! But don't do it alone! This is suicide, Tony, and you know it! Just get Gibbs to help you; he'll understand!"_

_"No, Abby, he won't." _

_"Tony…"_

_"Abby, listen to me. You can't tell anyone about this, got it? No one can know. If Amir finds out I even told you…I don't know what could happen, and I don't want anyone getting hurt." _

There was a long pause, and Tony heard Abby sigh frustratingly.

_"Fine. But this is the last time, Tony. The last time. And if I get brought down for this, I'm taking you with me!"_

_"I'm pretty sure Gibbs is going to fire me anyway, but if I get Ziva back, I won't really care."_

_"Just be careful, Tony." _Abby said. _"Gibbs is coming with some evidence from Ducky. I've got to go."_

_"Bye, Abby. Thank you." _

He turned his phone off after that. He couldn't risk anyone else calling. If they did call, it would go straight to his voicemail, and they would figure that he had let his phone die, which, when not at work, he did quite often.

He looked down at the tickets in his hand, and then back up at the set of television screens, telling him about the connecting, arriving, and taking off flights.

He finally spotted the flight to Tel Aviv, Israel.

"Flight number 767 to Tel Aviv is now boarding. Flight number 767 to Tel Aviv is now boarding."

Tony quickly turned and headed in the direction of terminal A 43, his backpack slung across his good shoulder.

He finally spotted Terminal A 43 and he hurried towards it.

"Flight to Tel Aviv now boarding, awaiting take off."

Tony hurried up to the stewardess, and young blonde with a pretty face, and let her scan his ticket and check his passport.

"NCIS, huh?" She asked. "Making sure no bad guys are going to get us in Tel Aviv?"

"Actually, I'm on a business trip. Meeting a friend." He said, taking back his passport.

"Well, enjoy your flight, Mr. DiNozzo. We'll be taking off shortly."

"Thank you." Tony quickly hurried down the terminal and onto the plane. He found his seat, C 23, quickly. He threw his backpack at his feet, stuffing it under the seat in front of him.

After about ten minutes, the doors to the plane were closed, and the stewardesses began their safety routines. Tony fastened his seat belt, and before long, he found himself being lifted higher and higher into the sky.

When the pilot announced that they could now move about the cabin, Tony felt himself relax. He accepted a pillow from one of the stewardesses and closed his eyes.

_Hold on, Ziva. I'm coming._

***

Eighteen hours and two stiff legs later, Tony's plane finally touched down in Tel Aviv, Israel. Tony grabbed his backpack and paraded down the aisle and terminal, stepping out into the Ben Gurion International Airport.

Tony found himself hurrying down the halls, looking for the exit that would take him out into the world. Hopefully he would be able to find a cab somewhere…

As soon as he stepped outside, Tony found himself wishing he hadn't dressed in his jeans and NCIS windbreaker as he had. It had been raining and a little windy back in DC, and he hadn't thought to dress for the Israel heat. And the one change of clothes he had packed weren't much better.

He took out his cell phone and turned it on, finding a signal. He quickly looked through his history and found the number he had dialed the previous night, and hit redial.

_"Agent DiNozzo." _Amir's cold voice said. 

_"I'm in Tel Aviv." _Tony said. _"What do you want me to do?" _

Amir chuckled. _"Good man." _He said. _"Now, what is your location?" _

_"Ben Gurion International." _Tony answered.

_"Ah, good. Now, what I want you to do is book a flight for Mogadishu, Somalia, for sometime in the next twenty four hours. Once you have done that, I want you to enjoy yourself, Agent DiNozzo. See the sights. Maybe stop by and tell Mossad Director Eli David we said hello."_

Tony frowned.

_"What do you mean?" _He asked.

_"Flight, Mogadishu, twenty four hours. See you soon, Agent DiNozzo."_

Before Tony could protest, Amir hung up.

"Dammit!" Tony swore. He shoved the cell phone back into his pocket, and ran a hand through his hair. He sat down on the curb, dropping his backpack beside him. His fractured arm ached, and he slipped the sling from his shoulder, rolling it, wincing at the pain that was still there. It was a bitter and painful reminder of just what he had done to Ziva, and to his team.

Tony held the sling in his hand for a moment, looking at it.

_Last time I was here… _He thought. _I had just killed a man. _

Tony had killed many men during his career. Indifference in the face of self defense was what he had been taught, and when Rivkin had come at him with that shard of glass, Tony, injured and unable to move from the floor, could do nothing but use the thing closest to him to try and protect himself, and that particular object had been his gun. He had warned Rivkin to put it down, to not do what Tony knew he was going to, and Tony hadn't wanted to pull the trigger. But Rivkin hadn't stopped, and it was kill or be killed. Tony had done what he had had to do, to keep himself alive, so that Ziva would stay alive. If he hadn't shot Rivkin, there was no doubt in his mind that he would be dead, and that Ziva would be also.

Eli David had made that very clear in his interrogation.

Disgusted, Tony got to his feet, throwing the sling into the nearest trash can. His arm and shoulder screamed in protest at doing so, but Tony ignored it, and walked back to the curb, grabbing his backpack, and walked back into the airport.

He marched up to the desk, asking as well as he could in the little Hebrew he knew about a flight to Mogadishu, Somalia.

Lucky for him, the man behind the counter had known English, and before long, Tony had booked himself a flight for ten o'clock that night.

He looked at the clock on the wall. It was almost one in the afternoon. Nine more hours.

_"Maybe stop by and tell Mossad Director Eli David we say hello…" _

Looking around for a cab, Tony found himself thinking that he had other things to say to Eli David.

***

Elijah David, to say the least, hated himself.

He hated his job, and he hated himself.

And when he received the message that NCIS Agent Tony DiNozzo was waiting in Mossad Headquarters' lobby, demanding to speak to him, the contempt returned.

"Send him in." He told his secretary. A few moments later, DiNozzo stepped into the room, a backpack slung over his left shoulder, his right arm not in a sling as it had been a month ago. His face was red, obviously from not only the heat outside, but anger as well, and his green eyes bore a fire Eli had seen only one too many times in his life.

Those eyes held contempt for him. Those eyes bore into his very sole and reflected who he truly was back at him like a mirror. Those eyes confirmed what Eli already knew.

But they looked tired, too. Obviously the past month had been just as much a hell for Agent DiNozzo as it had been for him.

"Agent DiNozzo." Eli said, cordially. "Please, sit down."

"Cut the crap, Eli." Tony snapped. "You and I both know I'm not here to have milk and cookies."

Eli smirked. He had always known Agent DiNozzo had a mouth on him.

"I'm here to talk to you about something important." DiNozzo went on. "And I think you know what it is."

Eli nodded. "Ziva." He said.

DiNozzo nodded silently.

Eli sighed. "She chose to go." He said. "She chose to finish Michael's mission. She chose to go on that ship. She chose to do this."

DiNozzo stepped closer to his desk.

"What kind of father are you?" He hissed. "What did you really send Rivkin to America for, hm? To kill Ziva? To kill me? To get us out of the way? Is that why? Ziva's apartment blew up the day after Rivkin died, and I know for a fact that that was the day he was set to leave to return to Tel Aviv. You sent Rivkin to do your dirty work." The fire in his eyes became lightning. "Well guess what?! I put four in his chest!"

_You put four in his chest!_

Eli stared into DiNozzo's eyes for a moment before he hung his head, ashamed.

"You did, didn't you?" DiNozzo said. "You sent him to kill your own daughter, just like you sent her to kill your own son."

"I did not want to." Eli said, so softly it went almost unheard. "I did not want to kill Ziva. She is the only child I have left…Tali, Ari…"

DiNozzo's fist slammed down on the table, and he dropped his bag to the floor.

"What kind of father are you?!" He screamed in Eli's face. "You sent your own daughter, the daughter you failed to kill the first time, to go off chasing after terrorists! You sent her on a suicide mission! You sent her to finish _your_ mission without her even knowing it!"

"I only ever wanted the best for my children…"

"So you raised them to be assassins?" DiNozzo laughed bitterly. "Now that's what I call shitty parenting."

He stepped back, and Eli stood to his feet, facing him.

"What do you want, Agent DiNozzo?" He said. "What are you here for? Information? Hm? You want to know why I tried to kill Ziva?"

"I'm here for answers." DiNozzo said. "I think you know who has Ziva, and I want to know who they are."

"I do not know them." Eli stated.

"Oh, but I think you do." DiNozzo said. "I think you know they're rogue Mossad agents. Does the name Mohab Amir ring any bells in that thick skull of yours, Eli?"

Eli swallowed, and stared at DiNozzo for a moment.

"Who is Mohab Amir?"

Eli did not answer.

DiNozzo's fist connected with his desk again.

"_Tell me!_" He roared.

"He was a Mossad agent, six years ago. He worked with Ari." Eli whispered. "He was one of the best. He was one of my model agents. He was intelligent, quick-witted, and cunning."

"What made him go rogue?"

Eli looked up. "He wanted power." He said. "Mohab Amir was never one, no matter how good an assassin, to follow orders well. He always wanted to give them." He hung his head again. "When his ignorance led to an explosion, killing four other Mossad agents, I terminated his status. He was banished from Mossad, and told never to return. He was so furious he vowed to get me back one day."

"And has he?"

Eli sighed. "Yes." He said. "He has. He has Ziva."

"But you knew he was on that ship."

"Yes, I did." Eli said. "It was Michael's mission to go meet with Amir, pretend to go rogue, get under Amir's skin. He was sent by Amir to America to bargain for weapons so that he could return to Amir with them, and then once he had gathered the information we needed about a training camp in Somalia, he was to do away with them, and that meant doing away with himself. Michael knew the consequences."

"What did Ziva have to do with this?"

"Ziva was in the way." Eli said. "She was holding Rivkin back."

"You mean he loved her."

Eli shook his head.

"No." He said, then rethought. "Well, yes, I suppose Rivkin did love Ziva, in a way. They grew up together, you see. I sent Michael to America because I knew that he and Ziva had grown close during their four months together last summer after Director Shepard was killed. I knew that she would not suspect him of espionage. I ordered him to plant a bomb in her apartment for the day he left because I knew that as soon as she was out of the way, Rivkin would have no choice but to complete his mission. He would no longer have anything else holding him down, keeping him from finishing the mission. Rivkin cared for Ziva, if only as a sister, and with her death would come fury, and determination to finish the job. And Michael knew this, and he accepted it."

"It was a ploy." DiNozzo was thoroughly disgusted now. "It was all a ploy on Ziva's heart."

"Yes."

DiNozzo's teeth clenched, and for a moment, Eli was afraid that he was going to hit him.

But he didn't.

"You son of a bitch." He said. He turned and slammed his fist – Eli noted that he had only used his left fist the entire time – against the doorframe before wheeling around to face Eli again. "When I get her back, Eli David…" He said. "You'll see just what you've done, and I promise you one thing, even if it's the last thing I ever promise: you will regret what you've done to Ziva. _You will regret it._"

With a final murderous look, DiNozzo picked up his backpack and left, slamming the door behind him.

Eli David looked sadly at a picture on his wall, above the air conditioner. It showed Ziva, Tali, and Ari when they were young.

"Oh, Agent DiNozzo." He said to himself. "If only you knew how much I already regret it."


	7. Chapter 6

**Things are starting to heat up. :)**

**Please review! The confrontation between Ziva and Tony is just a chapter away!!**

_Disclaimer: NCIS not mine._

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**Star of David**

_By doodlegirll_

***

**Chapter Six**

Tony yawned and opened his eyes to the sound of the alarm clock on the table beside the bed went off.

For a moment, Tony was unsure of where he was. This was definitely not his apartment back in DC…

It all came back to him in one giant tidal wave.

Ziva. The videotape. Flight. NCIS. Tel Aviv. Eli David.

Tony groaned and rubbed his face, sitting up at carefully as he could without hurting his arm. He looked at the alarm clock, and saw that the little red numbers read 8:32 PM.

Upon leaving Mossad Headquarters, Tony had found another cab and had asked it to take him to an inn somewhere in town. The ride had only taken three minutes, much to the relief of Tony, who had only brought minimal money with him. He had rented the inn for the next five hours, hoping to get as much sleep as he could.

He had lain on the small, lumpy bed for an hour before finally falling asleep. And when he finally was swallowed by unconsciousness, images of Ziva haunted his dreams.

In his dreams, Ziva was as she was in the videotape – beaten and bruised. She was crying, crying for him, asking him why he left her. Tony tried to call out to her, tell her how sorry he was for the anguish he had put her through, sorry that he had done what he had. He tried desperately to run to her, to hold her, to tell her everything was going to be okay, how much he loved her, but no matter how hard he tried and no matter how fast he ran, he never reached her. She was always one step away from, always just a breath out of his reach. He saw Amir and the two men with him on the tape coming into the room, forcing him to watch as they beat her as she screamed.

And when they were done, Ziva would tell him how badly she hated him.

_I deserve to be hated._

Sighing, Tony pushed himself off the bed, grabbing his t-shirt from the back of a chair next to him. He stuffed his arms into his jacket, grimacing as he did.

He riffled through his backpack and pulled out his plane tickets to Mogadishu, and then glanced back at the clock.

8:48 PM. It was time he got moving.

With any luck, he would see Ziva again in just a few hours time, and then, finally, he would have the redemption he knew he needed to carry on with his life.

He flipped open his cell phone and turned it on. He wanted to be able to call Amir as soon as he touched down in Mogadishu. No one had called him, and he was relieved. Everyone back at NCIS probably figured he was laying down, taking it easy, watching movies and stuffing himself full of popcorn.

Tony's stomach rumbled, and he spotted a small café not far from where the inn stood through the window.

He quickly left the small inn and crossed the street, walking inside. He ordered a cup of coffee and two sandwiches, one for now and one for later. Who knew, with terrorists on his hands, when he would eat again?

As he munched on his sandwich, which was neither delectable nor detestable, he began to wonder where he would be tomorrow. Would he be back in DC, Ziva at his side?

And, how was she now?

He suddenly found that he was not as hungry as he thought. He wrapped the paper back around the half eaten sandwich and placed them gently in the bottom of his backpack and headed back toward Ben Gurion International.

***

Meanwhile, back in DC, Gibbs returned to his desk having taken a bit of evidence to Abby from Ducky, and he couldn't help but notice that the young forensic scientist was slightly high-strung instead of her normal, bubbly self. Gibbs had shrugged it off, assuming it to be from hearing of Ziva's capture.

He sat down in his chair and took a swig of his coffee, glancing over at DiNozzo's desk.

It wasn't like DiNozzo to call in sick. Ever. Gibbs could only count maybe three times when Tony had actually called in sick, and he had been truly sick when he did (twice for food poisoning and once for the flu). And then there was his encounter with anthrax, but he had jumped back into work so quickly Gibbs rarely considered it a sick leave.

And it _certainly _wasn't like him to call in sick over his fractured arm, and then just not show up the next day…

A sudden thought struck him, and he was out of his seat in a second, almost running for the elevator. He slammed his fist down on one of the buttons, and he emerged back in Abby's lab.

"Abby." He said, walking towards her. Abby turned towards him, sipping on her Caf-Pow loudly.

"Hey, Gibbs." She said, smiling.

"Abby, where's that slip of paper?" Gibbs said.

Abby's face went blank and she swallowed. "What paper, Gibbs?" She tried to sound innocent.

"That slip of paper that came with the phone number Amir sent us." Gibbs said. "Where is it?"

Abby chewed on her lip. "Um…I misplaced it." She said.

Gibbs wasn't buying.

Abby's fingers curled tightly around her Caf-Pow, and Gibbs gently took it from her, setting it on the counter. He looked Abby square in the eye.

"Where is it, Abby?" He whispered. "Where's the paper?"

Abby's lip trembled, and suddenly she heard herself blurting out the answer.

"Tony has it!" She said. "Tony took it when I wasn't looking and now he's gone to find Ziva and oh, Gibbs, please don't fire me!"

Gibbs stared at her for a minute before cursing under his breath.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked, trying to keep his cool.

"Because Tony asked me not to." Abby said. "He went after Ziva because he feels like it's his fault."

"Well, yeah, in a way, it is." Gibbs said.

"But Gibbs, she _chose _to stay behind…"

"Yeah, but Tony killed Rivkin, remember?" Gibbs reminded her.

"Gibbs, I'm sorry." Abby said. "Please don't be mad at Tony, and please don't be mad at me. If you had asked me not to tell anyone I wouldn't have either!"

"That doesn't matter, Abby." Gibbs said. "You should have come to me! Directly to me!"

"I know, and I'm sorry!" Abby said, trying not to cry. "But, he loves her so much, Gibbs…"

"I know he does."

"Then you can't be angry with him! Everyone knows you would have done the same thing for Jenny!"

"But the difference is that I would not have been stupid about it! I wouldn't have thought I could do it on my own!" Gibbs was fuming by now, steam practically coming out his ears. "And Jen would not have wanted me to do this! She would have wanted me to stay here and be strong for my team!"

"Gibbs…I'm sorry…"

"Sorry isn't going to cut it if he gets killed, Abbs." Gibbs' voice became gentler as he took her by the shoulders. "Next time, you come straight to me, got that?"

Abby, tears and eyeliner coursing down her face, nodded.

"Good." He said. "Do you still have that number?"

She nodded.

"Good. I want you to run another scan of it, and I'm going to have McGee try and track Tony's cell phone while I call in a couple favors." He turned to leave. "We're going after that idiot."

Abby watched him go. "Does this mean I'm not fired?" She called after him.

"If you ever hope to see another Caf-Pow, I suggest you get on it." Gibbs called over his shoulder as he disappeared into the elevator.

"I'll take that as a no." Abby said as she turned back to work.

Gibbs walked back into the bullpen and was met by McGee, who looked surprised at the look on Gibbs' face. He held a couple papers in his hand, a half eaten sub in the other.

"Uh, hi, boss." He said. "I was just going to run these papers up to Vance, since, you know, Tony's sick today."

Gibbs steered the man back towards his desk.

"Forget about that, McGee." He said. "I want you to run a scan on Tony's cell phone."

"What?" McGee was confused. "But he's at home. He called in sick…"

"He's not at home." Gibbs said as he picked up his phone. "He's gone after her."

McGee knew he would sound stupid, but he asked it anyway.

"Who, boss?"

Gibbs gave him an exasperated look. "Ziva!"

McGee's eyes widened. "Oh." He said. He quickly sat down at his desk and began to pound down on the keyboard.

Moments later, he stood up, the remote for the plasma in his hand.

"I found him, boss." He said. "He's in Tel Aviv."

"What the hell is he doing there?" Gibbs asked no one in particular.

"It says he's on the move." McGee said. "And it just stopped at Ben Gurion International Airport."

"He's going somewhere else." Gibbs said.

At that moment, Vance came marching into the bullpen.

"Gibbs." He said. "I just talked to Mossad Director Eli David over MTAC. Apparently Agent DiNozzo paid him a little visit earlier today."

"And?"

"He said he's going after Ziva, and Eli said he's probably headed to Somalia."

"Africa." Gibbs said. "That's where Abby said the number could be traced."

"I've got a private jet ready and waiting." Vance said. "I want you on it in the next two hours. The jet will take you directly to Mogadishu, which is most likely where DiNozzo is headed."

Gibbs stared back at him.

"Why do you care so much, Vance?"

Vance stared back at him, steadily.

"Because we can't afford another lose to this agency, Agent Gibbs." He said. "Especially not as good an agent as DiNozzo."

"Did Eli tell you _why _he's headed to Mogadishu?"

"He's going to look for Ziva."

"But do you know _why_, Vance?"

Vance looked at him, unblinking, for a minute. "Yes, Gibbs." He said. "I think I know why."

Gibbs didn't say anything else, just turned back towards his desk.

"McGee, head to the equipment room and get a couple pairs of sweats. We might be gone a while."

"Uh, boss, I'm going to need someone to look after Jethro and all…" He started.

"Get Abby to do it!" Gibbs nearly shouted. "It's her dog anyway. We don't have time for you to run home. Just do as I say, and do it now!"

McGee gulped at his boss's tone and quickly picked up his phone to call Abby.

***

At least this plane ride hadn't been as long as the last one, Tony reasoned as he stepped off the plane and onto wet pavement. Rain beat down from above him, and Tony flipped out his phone, dialing Amir's number.

_"We already know you have arrived, Agent DiNozzo." _Amir addressed him. _"We can see you."_

_"Wha— " _Tony turned, squinting in the darkness. _"Where are you?" _

_"Look to your right, Agent DiNozzo. You will see a black car. That is us." _

Tony looked in the direction Amir told him and peered through the rain, finally spotting a black car about a hundred yards away from where he stood as a flash of lightning split through the sky. Tony flipped his phone closed and walked in the direction of the car, guided only by the brief lights from the plane wings and hangers and city lights behind him.

As he neared the car, two men stepped out. Tony recognized Amir immediately, and the other man from the video as well. He stopped about five feet in front of them.

"Agent DiNozzo." Amir said, smiling with narrowed eyes. "So we finally meet face to face."

"Where's Ziva?" Tony said.

"Back on our ship at port, Agent DiNozzo." Amir answered. "If you come quietly, you will see her again very soon."

Something hard pressed against Tony's back, and he realized Amir's companion had moved, and was now holding a gun. Tony swallowed and dropped his backpack to the ground, raising his hands very slowly. He felt the gun disappear from the middle of his back, and the man grabbed his hands, twisting them around and cuffing them in place.

Tony winced. "Watch the right one, would you?" He said. "Fractured radius."

Amir's comrade responded by tightening the handcuffs.

"Yeah, thanks." Tony muttered sarcastically.

"I would suggest you come quietly, Agent DiNozzo. Ziva's wounds have healed quite nicely in the past three weeks. It would be a shame for them to be reopened."

"I told you," Tony started towards Amir, but was pulled back and held roughly. "If you hurt her, I'll kill you."

Amir smirked. "With what?" He taunted. "Your bare hands?" He chucked. "Oh, Agent DiNozzo, we are not the idiots you make us out to be."

"Coulda fooled me."

Amir's fist connected with Tony's jaw, and Tony could feel blood running down the side of his mouth as he turned his head back to face him.

"Shut up." Amir said. "Now, get in the car. You will soon give us the information we want."

Amir flicked his head, and Tony was pushed roughly from behind towards the car. He ducked his head and slid into the backseat with Amir's friend as Amir slid into the driver's seat. Tony felt the cold steel of the gun pressing into his ribs, and he knew better than to try anything stupid.

"Buckle up, Agent DiNozzo." Amir said as he started the car. "We wouldn't want you flying around the backseat on our little road trip now would we?"

***

Fifteen minutes later, the car pulled up to a small port, and Tony was hustled out of the car. A gangplank that reminded Tony a little too much of _Pirates of the Caribbean _led up to the large ship, and he followed Amir up.

"So what kind of evil lair is this?" He said, as thought trying to start a friendly conversation. "I've seen better."

"I was beginning to enjoy the silence." Amir said. He opened a door, and Tony saw that a ladder led down underneath the deck.

"Uh, one problem." He said. "You kinda handcuffed me."

Amir smiled. "I know." He disappeared down the ladder.

Before he had any time to even begin to imagine how he was going to conquer a ladder with bound hands, Tony felt a strong hand clasp him on the shoulder, and he was suddenly hoisted onto Amir's buddy's shoulder as though he was no more than a sack of potatoes, and weighed about as much.

"Whoa, hey!" Tony said as the man began to climb down the ladder, letting Tony's head smack the doorframe as he did so. "Watch it there, buddy!"

The man threw him to the floor, and Tony struggled back to his feet.

"Never would have thought you had that much muscle." He mused.

"Shut up, Agent DiNozzo." Amir said from behind him. "Follow me."

Tony, with the other man behind him, followed Amir into a small, cramped room. In the middle of the room was a small, grubby table with abandoned playing cards scattered across its surface. As Tony looked around, he concluded that he was indeed where they were holding Ziva. Everything in the room's interior matched that of the room where the video was taken.

Now, the only question was, where was Ziva?

"Jamid, search him." Amir ordered, and his friend began to pat down Tony.

"Jamid, huh?" He said. "That's a funny name."

"DiNozzo is not much better." Jamid muttered. "I would have called you DiNutso."

Tony winced at the nickname. "I've been called that one a lot."

"He's clear." Jamid said, straightening back up.

Amir smiled. "Ah, good." He said. "Now, relieve him of his NCIS jacket. We wouldn't want any of the rest of crew getting any ideas, do we?"

Jamid flicked out a knife and began to slice at Tony's windbreaker, tearing it from his body without having to uncuff him.

"Very good." Amir said.

"Well, now that you've done that, the question of the day still goes unanswered. _Where is Ziva?_" Tony's eyes blazed.

"Ah, yes." Amir said. "Your beloved Ziva." He eyed Tony, spotting his cell phone in his pocket. "Jamid, relieve Agent DiNozzo of his cell phone, and destroy it. We wouldn't want NCIS trying to track him down now would we?"

Jamid did as he was told and grabbed the cell phone from Tony's pocket. He threw it to the floor, smashing it with the heel of his boot. Tony watched and swallowed.

_Shit. _He thought.

He looked back up, and saw Amir flick his head.

And then, suddenly, Tony felt a sharp pain in the back of his head, and everything went black.

***

She heard the lock on the door being slid away, and Ziva looked up to find Amir standing in the doorway.

"I have a gift for you, Ms. David." He said. "A new cellmate to keep you company."

He stepped aside, and Jamid entered, dragging an unconscious form, which he threw to the floor as thought it were no more than a ragdoll. Ziva's eyes widened when she realized it was Tony.

"Tony!" She said. She looked at Amir. "What have you done to him?"

"He is merely knocked out." Amir said with the wave of his hand. "He will live." He suddenly smiled darkly. "That is, if he survives our interrogation tomorrow."

Ziva swallowed. "Let him go." She said. "I will give you all the information you want, just let him go!"

"Oh, you will give us the information we want." Amir told her. "That is true." He eyed her up and down. "Now, I am going to have Jamid untie you. But if you try anything…" He pulled his gun, cocking it, and aiming it straight at Tony's head. "I will shoot Agent DiNozzo here. Understand?"

Ziva nodded. Jamid crossed the floor and, using his knife, cut the ropes that had bound her to that chair off and on for the past month. Jamid backed away as Ziva stood to her feet and hurried to Tony's side, pressing two fingers to the side of his throat for a pulse, finding a very strong one. She sighed in relief.

Amir put away his gun.

"Enjoy your night with Agent DiNozzo, Officer David." He said. "It may be your last."

He and Jamid left the room, leaving Ziva and Tony alone in the darkness.


	8. Chapter 7

**Super fluff, and SUPER angst coming up next!!!!**

**Please don't kill me...**

_Disclaimer: NCIS not mine._

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**Star of David**

_By doodlegirll_

***

**Chapter Seven**

He was an idiot for coming after her.

Of this, Ziva was very certain.

He was stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid for putting himself in the line of danger, and for what? For her. Again.

And yet, as Ziva rolled him gently over onto his back, struggling to see in the dark, she found herself surging with emotion. Anger, fear, sadness, and love coursed through her veins like fire, overcoming her very being, bringing her slowly back to life.

She was angry at him for doing this, jeopardizing everything he had and he was for her.

_You jeopardized your entire career and for what?!_

_For you._

She was afraid. Those moments that Amir's gun was pointed at his head were the most terrifying of her life. Every nightmare, every image of Michael standing over him with a smoking gun, came rushing back to her from the place at the back of her mind.

She was sad. She did not want him to die. Not because of her. And there was no doubt in her mind that if she did not cooperate, Amir would kill him.

And she was so completely overcome by love she almost felt as though she were bursting at the seams. These were not feelings she had ever felt for anyone else. Not for Michael Rivkin, not for Lieutenant Sanders. No, these feelings were for the man that had given his all to save her. These were feelings completely reserved for Tony.

She felt his pulse again, and as she did, her fingers brushed something cool. She gently brought it between her fingers, and in the faint light from the city outside coming through the dirty windows, saw that it was a small, silver chain. She carefully followed the chain, noting that Tony was never one for jewelry, ever, until she found a small, gold charm. Peering closely, she felt tears well up in her eyes as she realized what it was.

It was a Star of David. And not just _any _Star of David; it was _her _Star of David.

"Oh, Tony." She whispered.

She remembered when Amir had yanked the necklace from around her neck. She was sure she would never see it again, and she had had no idea what Amir could possibly want with it.

Then she knew.

The ransom video. Amir must have sent it with the video, knowing her team at NCIS would recognize it.

And Tony had taken it, wearing it, as a promise that he would find her.

"Oh God, Tony." She said. "Why did you do this?"

A faint mumbling could be heard, and a little shuffling. She looked next to her and saw Tony stirring, struggling his way back to consciousness.

"Tony?" She whispered.

Green eyes opened to darkness, and he groaned.

"Am I dead?" He asked.

Ziva smiled. "No, Tony, you are not dead."

She helped him to sit up, and he rubbed his head.

"Are you sure?" He asked. "My head is killing me."

"Yes, I am sure." She said.

After a moment, Tony's vision stopped swirling, and he could make out a few faint shapes in the black. He suddenly realized where he was, and had Ziva in his arms in a second.

"Ziva!" He said, hugging her close. "God, Ziva…"

Ziva winced and bit her lip from the pain from her numerous broken and cracked ribs, refusing to cry out. She gritted her teeth, and slowly brought her arms around Tony, returning the hug that, for the first time in her life, made her feel truly, truly safe.

"Ziva, God, where do I start?" He said. "Ziva, I'm so sorry I got you into this. I didn't mean to; I was only trying to protect you."

"I know." She said against his chest. "I know."

"I'm sorry I killed Rivkin. It really was self-defense. I didn't want to. I never meant to hurt you. I'll understand if you hate me and after I get you out of this you never want to see me again, but I _had _to…"

Ziva cut him off. "Tony, slow down." She said. "You are beginning to sound like a child that has had too much salt."

"It's sugar, Zee-vah."

Ziva smiled and buried her head back into his chest.

"I do not hate you, Tony." She whispered.

"You should." Tony said. "I got you into this. If I had just minded my own business…"

"I would be dead." Ziva interceded. "I would have died when my apartment blew up."

"Yeah, but, Ziva…"

"Tony, just stop." Ziva said. "I know you are sorry what you did, and I forgive you." She swallowed. "But what I cannot understand is why you have come here."

"I came to find you." Tony explained. "We got a videotape and your necklace in the mail three days ago, and I…I couldn't…" He stumbled for the right words. "It killed me, Ziva. To know that I did this to you. I had to make it up to you, at least. I owe you that much. I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive myself for this."

"And what of Gibbs?" Ziva asked.

"Gibbs doesn't know I'm here." Tony admitted. "I came alone. Abby knows I'm here, but I swore her to secrecy. And Amir smashed my cell phone."

"You should not have come here, Tony." Ziva said. "You should not have done this. Amir and his men are terrorists. They have beaten me for the past month, and I cannot watch them do that to you, Tony. They do not need the information that they say they desire. They have an informant back in DC. They are going to use you against me." She began to sound angry. "You should have let me die, Tony! You should have just left me here!"

There was no holding it back now. She broke down and began to cry.

Tony gently cradled her, trying to comfort her as best he could. He rocked her back and forth, rubbing her back in soothing circles. At that moment, he hated himself far more than he ever had.

"I _had _to, Zi." He whispered. "I _had _to."

"Why?" Ziva said, stopping her tears abruptly. "_Why _did you come after me?"

Tony had never thought it would be this hard. Never in his life had he thought the words he knew he wanted to say would be so hard to get out. Never had he imagined that he would actually be able to tell Ziva the feelings he had harbored for her for years. There had always been an unspoken attraction between them, invisible sparks that bound them closer than just partners. Ziva was his best friend, the woman he loved. He loved her as he had never loved anyone before, even Jeanne.

And then, of course, there was that damn rule twelve…

"Because…" He started. "_Because_, Ziva. Don't you understand?! Maybe there was a little jealousy in Rivkin's death. Maybe I _did _want him out of your life. But I never wanted it to go this far! I knew the moment I pulled that trigger, put four in his chest, that you would never be able to think of me the same way again! I didn't know what to do! This is all my fault, and I feel like it's my responsibility to make sure you make it out of this! My life has been _hell _without you, Ziva! You have no idea how much you not being there to throw spitballs at my head, or for me to correct your English, has killed me this month! I haven't been able to go out in the field and take pictures and investigate crimes because of this damn fractured arm! I've had to stay there, sit at that desk, all alone, looking over across the room _hoping _that maybe one day you'll just show up, looking at my phone _hoping _maybe you would call. I have to live with this regret every day of my life, Ziva, and I feel that if I can get you out of this, alive, and get you back where you're loved and wanted I can find a little bit of closure in that. I _needed _to do this, not just for myself, but for _you. _Everything I've ever done, I did it for you." He hugged her closer, and her fists clenched his cotton t-shirt tightly. "And when I saw you in that video, when I found your Star of David, I knew there was a way."

Ziva bit her healing lip, listening and hanging on to every word Tony said. She felt very guilty, as she had not felt guilty before, at the words she had spoken to Tony back in Tel Aviv. She had regretted those words since she had spoken them, but now, after hearing Tony confess at least to some degree about how he felt about her, she regretted herself even more.

"I am sorry, Tony." She said. "I am sorry."

Tony laughed shortly. "Please, Zi." He said. "Just…don't."

She pulled away from his arms.

"Tony, Amir told me he is coming in the morning to interrogate us." She said. "Please, you have to promise me…"

"I'll tell them whatever they want, even if they already know it, if it'll keep you safe, Zi." Tony said. "Don't make me promise anything."

Ziva swallowed. "They will hurt you, Tony." She said. "They will do anything to hurt me. They learned long ago that beating me would not get me to talk, to beg for mercy, but they know that you will. They will use you as my weakness."

Tony put his arm around her. "Tomorrow's tomorrow." He said. "We'll worry about it when it gets here."

"Yes, but— "

"Sh, just try and get some sleep." Tony said. "I haven't slept but maybe five hours in the past two days. I know you can't see them, but I've got bags the size of Abby's Caf-Pows under my eyes."

Ziva smiled at the joke, and settled into his arms. She felt him flinch as he shifted, and let out a soft groan.

"Your arm." She said. "The one Rivkin fractured. You are not wearing a slip."

"Sling." Tony corrected. "And I know. I threw it out. It was holding me back."

Ziva chose to not say anything at this point, but instead focus on what Tony had told her, and try to get some sleep. She closed her eyes, her head resting comfortably on his shoulder, and before long, she was asleep.

And for the first time in a long time, she did not dream.

***

Timothy McGee's fingers clicked across the laptop on his lap rapidly as he did another scan on Tony's cell phone in the back of the jet Vance had set up for him and Gibbs. They had been in the air an hour now, and Gibbs had already run out of coffee, refusing the stewardess's proposal at some of their coffee, stating that it was not coffee, it was watery molasses.

Tony's cell phone definitely showed that he was in Mogadishu. He had arrived not long ago, and now his phone was in one place. McGee knew that could mean one of many things, most of which did not look good.

"Anything new, McGee?" Gibbs asked.

McGee shook his head.

"Nothing." He said. "Tony's phone hasn't moved in two hours, boss." He said.

Gibbs swore under his breath and leaned his head back against the seat. His grey eyes blazed, and McGee knew he was worried about his agents' safety.

"What do you think it means, boss?" McGee dared to ask.

"It could mean anything, McGee." Gibbs said. "But it most likely means they have him."

McGee swallowed and looked at the time in the lower corner of the screen.

They still had about ten hours to go.

"Hold on, guys." He said under his breath as he continued typing.

***

Morning came much too soon for Ziva.

She squinted her eyes open, blinking at the warm light that seeped into the cell through the windows.

The events of the previous night played across her memory, and she looked up to find Tony fast asleep, slumped up against a wall, his head resting on his shoulder. He was snoring softly, and Ziva smiled.

_He snores._

She saw dried blood on the right side of his mouth, and a large bruise on his forehead. His arm was wound tightly around her waist, and she saw the Star of David still hanging from around his neck.

She settled her head back against his shoulder, remembering what the morning meant.

_If he survives our little interrogation tomorrow…_

She shivered, willing Amir to forget, to not come after them, to leave them here, together.

Her prayers were futile.

She heard footsteps coming down the hallway, and she shook Tony.

"Tony." She said, urgency radiating in her voice. "Tony, they are coming!"

Tony groaned and blinked open his eyes, looking at Ziva.

"What?" He asked groggily.

"They are coming." Ziva said. "Amir and his men."

Tony swallowed, and sighed. "I'm ready for them." He said. "Whatever happens, Ziva, promise me you'll get out of here. Don't tell them anything they want to know. Get out of here and hide. Do whatever you have to; just get away from here."

"Tony, I— "

"Promise me, Zee-vah."

"I promise, Tony."

He smiled at her and kissed her forehead. "We'll be alright."

At that moment, the lock on the door creaked, and Amir stepped into the room, looking quite triumphant.

"Sorry to disturb you." He said. "But there is a matter of business that cannot wait any longer."

Tony stood to his feet, helping Ziva to do the same. He placed Ziva protectively behind him, pleading silently that she not fight him.

"I'll give you the information you want." He said. "But you let Ziva go."

Amir stepped closer, followed by Jamid and Tamul closely.

"Oh, we will let her go." He said. "She will not be harmed. Not physically, anyway."

Jamid and Tamul walked over to Tony and grabbed him by the arms, dragging him away from Ziva. Jamid grabbed both arms and held him in a vice-like grip as Tamul let go, and crossed the room to stand behind Ziva.

Amir paced in front of them.

"Here is how it is going to work, Ms. David." He said. "I am going to ask you a couple questions, and every time you answer a question wrong – and we will know if they are wrong – Agent DiNozzo here…" He flicked out a five-inch switchblade, and Ziva tensed. Amir saw her stiffen and smiled coldly. "Let us just say that you may consider answering correctly."

Ziva remembered the past month. She remembered the painful beatings she had endured aboard the ship, the stinging of her swollen eye every time Amir slapped her, the horrifying and agonizing pain from her numerous cracked and broken ribs. She remembered loosing consciousness often, and finding comfort in the dark.

_Please, God, do not let them kill Tony! _She prayed.

She looked at Tony, then back at Amir, nodding.

"Alright." She said.

"Very good." Amir said. He opened his mouth to speak again, but was cut off by Tony.

"Ziva, you don't have to tell this asshole anything." He said. "Don't talk!"

Amir gritted his teeth, and his fist connected with Tony's jaw for the second time in twenty four hours. Tony's head snapped to the left, staying standing only by Jamid's fierce grip on his arms, and when he looked back at Amir, he had fresh blood running down his mouth where it had dried the night before. He glared at Amir.

"Shut up." Amir commanded. He turned back to Ziva. "Are we understood, Ms. David?"

She nodded. "Crystal."

"Good. Now, first question: Who runs NCIS?"

Ziva took a deep breath. "Jennifer Shepard." She lied.

Amir's bitter eyes danced with an amusement Ziva hated.

"Wrong."

Amir grasped one of Tony's restrained hands. Taking the switchblade, he pressed the tip down on the pad of Tony's thumb. Tony hissed in pain as a small river of blood began to run down his hand, but he said nothing.

"I know for a fact that Jennifer Shepard died almost two years ago." Amir said. "In a shootout." He looked at Ziva. "So, I will ask again: who runs NCIS?"

"Va-Vance." Ziva answered quickly. "Leon Vance."

"Very good." Amir sounded pleased that she was finally cooperating. "Next question: who did you work with at NCIS?"

"I-I worked with many…" Ziva tried to keep the answer open, but instantly regretted it, regretted ever agreeing to not tell them what they already knew.

Amir grabbed Tony's other hand. Closing it around the blade of the knife, he pulled it away swiftly. Tony couldn't hold in the small cry of pain, and when he opened his instinctively curled fist, Ziva saw the large gash in his palm. It was five inches long, the same length of the knife, and fairly deep – about an eighth of an inch. Deep enough to need stitches. Scarlet blood pooled from the wound, and ran down Tony's wrist and forearm onto the floor.

"Alright!" Ziva said. "I will tell you. Just do not hurt Tony again."

"Then tell us what we want to know when we ask you the first time!" Amir dropped Tony's hand. "Now, teammates!"

Ziva could feel her blood beginning to boil. She felt her strength returning with the adrenaline, and she looked at Amir defiantly as she spoke.

"Timothy McGee, computer specialist. Abigail Scuito, forensic scientist. Donald Mallard, autopsy. Leroy Jethro Gibbs, team leader."

Amir smiled and nodded. "Very good, Ms. David." He said. "Now, tell me more about this…Leroy Jethro Gibbs."

Ziva swallowed dryly, looking at Tony, who shook his head.

"Don't tell him anything, Zi." He said. "Don't tell him about Gi— "

He was cut off abruptly with Amir's steel-toed boot coming up to meet him square in the stomach. Ziva took a step towards him, eyes blazing, but Tamul held her back. Jamid threw Tony to the floor, and Tony curled into a ball as Amir kicked him again. Ziva heard a faint _crack_, and she knew from her own experience that Amir had broken one of Tony's ribs. Tony gasped for breath, and Amir crouched down next to him, hauling his head up to meet his eyes by his hair.

"I suggest you keep your mouth shut, Agent DiNozzo, if you wish to keep that tongue of yours." He hissed.

Tony said nothing, but regarded Amir with a steely glare. His eyes flicked back to Ziva, who stared back at him. He saw her flinch as Amir threw his head back, letting go of his hair. She had a look on her face that Tony had seen many times; her face was calm, almost serene, but her eyes blazed with brown fire. Tony had always referred to this look as "Silent-But-Deadly." A quiet Ziva was a pissed Ziva, and a pissed Ziva was a scary Ziva.

"Now, Ms. David," Amir said, getting back to his feet. "Leroy Jethro Gibbs."

Ziva was shaking with rage by now. She knew that Amir sending her Star of David had been a trap, a trap set for Tony, the one Amir knew she cared for. It had never been intended for Gibbs.

Could she really do this? Could she really go through with this, and let them do this to Tony? Tony, the one who, despite his being an asshole at times, had only ever tried to look after her, to be there for her, to love her? Each time she so much as stumbled over an answer, tried to think up a new lie, he received a bloody wound from Amir's knife. And each time, the wounds became more and more severe. Ziva knew it was only a matter of time before Amir got so fed up he killed Tony, and possibly her as well. Then there would be no stopping him.

And Amir was a terrorist. He must be brought down.

She knew what she had to do, and realized that all the decisions she had ever made in her life would never live up to this one.

She _had _to stop Amir.

Even if it cost Tony his life.

***

Their plan had landed ten minutes ago, and now McGee and Gibbs were in a rented car, speeding off into the town of Mogadishu.

"Which way, McGee?" Gibbs said from the driver's seat, looking at McGee in the passenger's.

"Uh, left, boss." McGee said. "Then left again."

Gibbs' foot pressed down on the pedal as far as it would go, and they tore out of the airport, narrowly avoiding hitting a few passersby and cars.

"How far?" He asked.

"About twenty miles." McGee said. "We should get there in about…ten minutes."

Gibbs' determined eyes looked ahead.

"Let's make that five."

***

Ziva stared at Amir, her jaw set.

Amir's dark eyes shone back at her.

Tony's worried face begged with her not to speak, to keep her promise, to preserve her own life, to get away from here.

She went to open her mouth to speak, but Amir had obviously grown impatient long before that, and now both she and Tony would pay for her reluctance.

Amir grabbed Tony's hurt arm and twisted it backwards. Tony swallowed his pain, though his face clearly showed it. Amir never let go of him as he bent down to pick up a coil of rope from the floor and tossed it over a pipe above their heads. Amir grabbed Tony's other arm, forcing his wrists together and wrapping the rope around them, tying it securely. Taking the other end of the rope, Amir tugged, bringing Tony to where his toes were barely touching the floor. Tony clenched his teeth, burying his chin in his chest to try and hide the immense pain contorting his features, but he found it nearly impossible, and he searched desperately for a foothold. Amir handed the end of the rope to Jamid, and walked beside his newest victim. Lashing out, Amir grasped Tony by his hair, pushing his head away and exposing his shoulder.

Tony did not have time to do anything, or even give even a hint of discomfort, because as soon as he was sure he had Ziva's full and undivided attention, Amir raised his hand and plunged the knife into Tony's shoulder, burying it to the handle, and twisted.

Tony screamed.

Ziva screamed.

For a moment, neither were quite sure which scream belonged to whom. They mingled together, both full of pure agony: Tony from the pain of a knife, Ziva from the pain of watching the man she loved be tortured. Ziva felt the tears build up in her eyes, and her vision blurred.

She couldn't take this anymore. She suddenly felt every shred of strength she had ever had draining from her, leaving her body in waves. She felt suddenly very weak and helpless, and very angry at the same time.

Screw her promise. Sometimes promises were meant to be broken.

This was one of those promises.

"Leroy Jethro Gibbs: Fought in Desert Storm. Married four times, divorced thrice, widowed once. Works on a boat in his basement. Drinks coffee. Marine sniper. Lives by a particular set of rules for everything. Is not a fan of Leon Vance." Ziva blurted as Amir twisted the knife in Tony's shoulder again. She was aware of the tears running down her face now. "There. You have the information you want. Now leave Tony alone!" She was screaming by now.

Amir smirked. "Thank you, Ms. David." He flicked his head at Jamid, who let go of the rope, and Tony tumbled to the floor, who screwed his eyes closed tightly as he held his injured shoulder as best he could. Blood seeped through his fingers, staining his shirt and hand with the scarlet liquid. Tamul released her, and Ziva rushed forward, almost falling, onto her knees next to Tony. He looked at her, his green eyes glassy with pain and shock.

"Ziva," he said, his voice abrasive. "Ziva."

"I am here, Tony." Ziva said, taking Tony's face into her hands. "Just stay still."

"Ziva." He repeated her name.

Amir laughed at the sight, and Ziva felt the undeniable urge to attack him, to strangle him, to plunge a knife into him repeatedly, make him pay for what he had done.

He began to walk around the couple on the floor.

"It is too bad," He said, feigning remorse. "I would have preferred to keep Agent DiNozzo out of this."

Ziva could not help but think _bullshit. _

***

The car screeched to a stop, and Gibbs and McGee filed out, their guns drawn. They ran towards the large ship in front of them, McGee leading the way.

"This way, boss!" McGee said, indicating a door to the right. "I think this will take us to where Tony is!"

Gibbs followed his agent down a small ladder. McGee stopped and thought for a moment, trying to calculate where to go from here, desperately trying to remember which way the tracker on his laptop had told him to go.

"This one, boss!" McGee said, pointing to a door. The door was closed, and they positioned themselves against it.

"Alright, when I say go, enter, and if you have to, you pull that trigger, got it?" Gibbs whispered.

McGee nodded.

"Okay…now!"

They burst into the room, only to find it completely empty. They lowered their guns slightly in confusion, looking around the room.

"Boss, look!" McGee was suddenly crouching beside what appeared to be the remains of a once black cell phone. "It's Tony's phone! They must have smashed it trying to hinder the signal, but they missed the tracking chip!"

"Dammit!" Gibbs swore. "He could be anywhere on this damn ship!"

"What do you think we should do?"

Gibbs looked at the cell phone on the ground.

"We search."

***

She still held Tony's face in her hands, keeping herself composed, trying to calm him. His bound hands had let go of his shoulder and had come up to hold onto one of her wrists, staining her skin with the blood that covered them. Her eyes never left his face, and she spoke to him softly in Hebrew, even though she knew he could not understand her.

She tore her eyes away from Tony to glare at Amir. "Then why did you not?" She asked, ice hanging from her every word.

Amir chuckled. "Because, Ms. David," he said. "I know Agent DiNozzo here has certain feelings for you, and I knew he would make the perfect implement against you."

Ziva looked back at Tony, whose pain-filled eyes bore into hers. _So it **was** true…_

Amir went on, thought Ziva barely heard him. "And besides that, Ms. David, I never would have gotten anything out of you otherwise."

Suddenly, almost out of nowhere, Amir produced his gun. He pointed it straight at the back of Ziva's head. His finger curled around the trigger.

Tony's eyes flicked towards him.

Before anyone had time to think, he pushed Ziva out of the way and to the floor.

"Ziva, no!"

The gun fired.


	9. Chapter 8

**Sorry for that horrendous cliffy at the end of the last chapter. ;) I couldn't resist!**

**Loads of angst and Gibbs/Ziva father-daughter moments. :) Oh, and one BIG confrontation with Eli David!**

**Also, if I may suggest a song to listen to while reading this chapter, I suggest _The Reason _by Hoobastank. It is THE Tiva song. THE song. Seriously. Especially after Aliyah!**

**Oh, and I am very well aware that some of my facts on jet planes are incorrect. Please bear with me! The rest of my information should measure up to researched standards!**

**Anyway, enjoy, and please please please review!!**

_Disclaimer: NCIS not mine._

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**Star of David**

_By doodlegirll_

***

**Chapter Eight**

McGee froze.

It was almost as if the room had become suddenly very cold, and he was rooted to the spot.

A gunshot.

McGee looked at Gibbs, whose eyes were wide with unspoken terror. Seeing Gibbs afraid, even if only by the eyes, made McGee feel extremely uneasy.

"Which way, boss?" He asked.

"Sh!" Gibbs shushed him. "Listen!"

The sounds of shouts – one of them undoubtedly female – could also be heard. And then, rapid gunfire.

"That way!" Gibbs said, pointing. "Hurry!"

They took off running down the hallways, ducking around the corner, running past one or two men who, noticing their guns, took off running the other way. They finally reached the end of the hallway, where a large, wooden door with a rusty latch stood in their way.

The two men pressed themselves against the door, their guns in position. McGee didn't dare take a breath.

"Ziva?" Gibbs yelled through the door. "Ziva, Tony, are you in there?"

"Gibbs!" They heard Ziva's strained came back. "Gibbs, help us!"

"We're coming in, Ziva, just hold on!" McGee called, and he unlatched the door. He and Gibbs rushed inside, their guns pointed straight ahead.

Their eyes were immediately drawn to the three dead men on the floor, no doubt Ziva's kidnappers, each with a bullet wound to the heart.

Then they saw Ziva.

Ziva held a bleeding Tony in her arms. A length of rope led to his bound wrists, and he had a large switchblade jutting out of his already injured shoulder, and blood gushed from what appeared to be a gunshot in his chest. Ziva was pressing down as hard as she could on the wound to try to stop the blood flow. Tony was convulsing, barely conscious, and his teeth were clenched in pain.

"Call an ambulance!" Ziva screamed. "Hurry!"

Gibbs flicked his head at McGee, who, sickened by the sight of blood, pulled his cell phone from his pocket, and then rushed to Ziva and Tony's side. He took off his jacket, removing Ziva's hands, and pressed it to the wound.

"Ziver, what happened?" He asked, gently.

"They-they were interrogating me." Ziva said, her voice shaking. "I knew they already had their information, and whenever I refused to answer, they…they hurt Tony. Amir was going to shoot me, but Tony pushed me out of the way…"

"Did you shoot them?"

Ziva nodded. "Yes." She said.

"Good." Gibbs said. "Three less assholes in the world."

"Gibbs, they never…they never need the information." She said. "It was a trap. They knew that Tony would come after me…"

"Sh, Ziva, it's going to be alright." Gibbs said, pressing down harder as the blood seeped through the jacket's cotton lining. "We're here now."

A slightly green McGee came running back over to them.

"I called for help; they're sending an ambulance now." He reported. "What happened?"

"Interrogation." Gibbs said. "Tony was a bargaining chip."

"He tried to explain what happened back at Mossad, Gibbs." Ziva said. "And I did not listen. If I had just listened, swallowed my pride and _listened…_"

Gibbs removed the jacket from Tony's chest, finding it soaked. McGee immediately shrugged out of his and handed it to his boss.

"Now what happened?" Gibbs asked as he tried to tie the jacket around Tony without moving him. Tony had stopped convulsing; he was unconscious.

"Amir – " Ziva nodded her head towards one of the dead men. "— was going to shoot me, but Tony pushed me out of the way, and took the bullet himself…I do not know what happened after that. The next thing I know, I have Tamul's gun and they are dead."

Gibbs had succeeded in securing the jacket to Tony's chest.

"We have to get him off this ship." He said.

"Uh, boss, I don't think that's such a good idea." McGee, who had placed a comforting arm around Ziva's shoulders, said. "With his shoulder and all…"

"They'll never find him in time if we don't, McGee." Gibbs said. "Hell, we never would have found them if we hadn't heard the gunshots."

"Point taken, boss." McGee said. "I'll help."

Gibbs shook his head.

"No, you get Ziva out of here." He ordered. "I'll take care of Tony."

McGee looked at Tony's still form. "Uh, boss, won't he be, you know…heavy?"

"McGee. Get Ziva out. _Now._"

"On it, boss." McGee began to steer Ziva towards the door. "Come on, Ziva. Let's go."

Ziva didn't fight him, like McGee had half expected her to, and the two walked silently down the hall and up the stairs to the deck of the boat. McGee kept a firm, comforting arm around Ziva's shoulders as they stepped out into the bright sunlight, and Ziva blinked. It was the first time she had been outside in over a month, since she had set foot on this wretched ship.

A few minutes later, Gibbs appeared carrying Tony's limp form. McGee's eyebrows rose in surprise. He had never expected Gibbs to be strong enough to carry someone as heavy as Tony – especially when it was dead weight – but then again, Gibbs was full of surprises, and adrenaline made you an ordinary Superman sometimes.

Gibbs carefully lowered Tony to the ground, and the three knelt down next to him. Moments later, sirens pierced the air, and an ambulance came into view on the dock beside them. Gibbs stood to his feet and ran to the railing of the ship, waving his hands wildly. One of the EMTs spotted him, and pointed. They ran up the gangplank onto the deck.

"Agent Gibbs?" One of them asked in accented English.

Gibbs nodded. "Yes." He said.

"We're going to take care of your agent. Alright?"

Gibbs nodded. "Just get him out of here! The lady is going need to see a doctor, too. She's been through hell and back."

The EMT nodded. "We will take care of that at the hospital." He said.

In a matter of minutes, Tony was securely strapped to a gurney, and wheeled down the gangplank to the dock where the ambulance waited. They lifted him into the back, quickly getting an IV started.

"Ziva, you ride with Tony." Gibbs ordered. "McGee and I will follow behind in the car. We'll meet you there."

Ziva nodded, and climbed into the back of the ambulance as they were about to close the door. The EMT gave Gibbs a strange look, obviously from the fact that a woman with dirty clothes and hair with numerous recently healed cuts and bruises littered her face and arms. Gibbs gave the man a curt nod, and he closed the door, telling the driver to go.

The sirens wailed as they rushed down the crowded streets of Mogadishu towards the local hospital, but Ziva was barely aware of what was going on around her. All she cared about was the man lying unconscious next to her. Her hand went to hold his, and it was then she noticed that both of her hands were covered in blood – _his _blood. Ziva swallowed and took a deep breath, then grasped his limp hand in hers. Her thumb trailed over his knuckles, and she looked at his ashen face, where an oxygen mask had been placed.

"Please," She whispered. "Please, Tony, do not die. I cannot lose you, not now. You have to hold on. I cannot…" She was sobbing quietly by now, Tony's hand pressed to her forehead. "I love you, Tony. Please do not die."

She felt a gently hand on her shoulder, and she looked up into the kind face of the EMT.

"Miss, are you alright?" He asked.

Ziva shook her head.

"It is my fault he is like this." She said. "And if he dies…" She trailed off.

The EMT smiled sadly. "We're going to all we can for him, miss." He said. "We've called ahead to the hospital just outside of town where he will be life-flighted to Tel Aviv."

"Tel Aviv…" Ziva said.

"Yes, ma'am." He said. "Your friend will be taken care of there." He looked her up and down with a critical eye. "Agent Gibbs said that you needed to be looked at."

Ziva looked away from his kind eyes and back at Tony. "I am fine." She said. "I will heal."

"Still, I would really like to look you over." The man said, and after a moment, Ziva nodded.

"Alright." She said.

The EMT carefully checked her over. He checked her eyes with a small LED penlight, and the one that had until recently been almost completely swollen shut still hurt like hell, but he said that her pupil dilation was good for both eyes. He carefully ran his hands down her sides, and Ziva flinched and her grip on Tony's hand tightened, thought she knew that it would not tighten back in support like she so desperately wished it would. The EMT concluded that she had at least three broken ribs and at least two bruised or cracked ones, but said that an x-ray would have to back him up on his conviction. Her reflexes were fine, but her left ankle was severely sprained, and would need a brace.

Ziva's almost clean bill of health surprised her. Surely Amir and his men had done more damage than that? It had seemed that way at the time…

Before long the ambulance pulled over, and Ziva was ushered out of the back as they lowered Tony's gurney to the ground.

A large jet stood on a large area of concrete, and Ziva realized it was at the airport. The car with Gibbs and McGee inside screeched to a halt, and they were out and running towards her without even shutting off the ignition.

"Gibbs!" Ziva said as the EMTs rushed Tony towards the jet. "They are taking him to Tel Aviv!"

"I know, Ziver." Gibbs yelled over the noise of the airport. "I told them to."

"Why?! Tel Aviv is two hours from here by plane, Gibbs. He will never last that long."

"In this baby he will." McGee said. "It travels over 700 miles per hour. He'll get there in forty minutes, if we're lucky."

He received one of Gibbs' infamous "Gibbs Slaps" to the back of the head for his final choice of words.

"Just get on the plane, Ziva." Gibbs said. "He'll make it."

The three hurried towards the jet, and in five minutes time, it was set to take off.

The EMTs worked diligently to keep Tony's condition as stable as possible, so Ziva was forced to watch from the sides, Gibbs' arm around her in a fatherly embrace.

As soon as they had been cleared for take off, Ziva had buckled herself in and brought her knees to her chest, crying softly. Gibbs had placed his arm around her, and she was comforted by the fact that he, too, held a concern for his senior field agent.

At first she had attempted to apologize. Their reunion had not gone in any way that Ziva had even imagined possible.

"Gibbs, I— " She started.

"Shh," Gibbs whispered. "Don't apologize. You've got nothing to apologize for."

"But I had just…"

"Ziva." Gibbs' tone was hard, but gentle. "It's going to be okay. DiNozzo is strong. He'll be alright."

Ziva sniffed and went to wipe her eyes with her hands. She stopped when she realized for the second time in an hour that they were saturated in blood. She stared at them for a moment, and Gibbs noticed.

"Hold on." He said. He unbuckled himself and walked over to the EMTs, whispering something in one's ear. The EMT nodded, and within a minute Gibbs was next to her again, a wet wash cloth in his hand.

"Here." He said. "Clean off your hands."

Ziva took it and began to scrub at her hands until every dot of blood was gone. She handed the rag back to Gibbs, who threw it across the room and out of sight.

Ziva stared at her feet for a moment. "Gibbs, am I going to have to…stand up for killing Amir?"

"No." Gibbs said, seriously. "You will not. They were killed in self defense."

"I do not regret killing them." Ziva said.

It was true. She hated Amir, hated him for what he had done, to her, to Tony. For a month he had beat her, tried to get her to talk, to cave in, to break down, to beg for mercy, to bring her to the brink of insanity. He had thought she would not be able to survive such a horrific experience, but he had obviously misjudged her. Ziva had held on to everything she could, kept the hope that maybe she would make it out alive close to her, and she had indeed pulled through. His slaps and insults were nothing. What he had done to Tony would stay with her forever.

Amir had thought he was invincible, that nothing in the world could stop him. And yet, he was now lying dead on the floor of that ship. His blood now mingled with hers, and with Tony's, and with that of his comrades.

"You shouldn't." Gibbs said. "If you hadn't, I sure as hell would have."

Ziva smiled weakly at him, and looked over at McGee, who was busy dialing something on his phone, putting it to his ear.

"Who are you calling, McGee?" Gibbs asked.

"Abby." He said. "She threatened to bend my fingers backwards if I didn't call her as soon as we had Ziva back." He paused as the phone was picked up. "Hey, Abby…Yes, we found her…No, no, she's alright…well, Tony is…no, he's not dead, Abby, but…" He sighed. "Abby, calm down. He's going to be okay, just calm down…Tony got shot."

McGee held the phone away from his ear quickly, and Ziva heard the scream of Abby from the other end. McGee waited until she was done before placing the phone back to his ear. "Abby, please, you have to calm down. We're flying him to Tel Aviv now…"

Gibbs held out his hand for the phone, and McGee gave it to him.

"Abby." Gibbs said. "Abby, just calm down; he's going to be fine. We're flying him to Ichilov Hospital now. We should land any minute." He stopped for a moment, allowing Abby to talk. "Yeah, she's fine. A bit shook up, but fine…Hold on." He held the phone out to Ziva. "She wants to talk to you."

Ziva took the phone, trying to muster up enough energy to sound relatively okay for Abby.

"Hello, Abby." She said.

_"ZIVA!" _Abby screamed. _"Oh my God, are you alright?!"_

_"Yes, Abby, I am fine. A few broken ribs and bruises but nothing critical." _

_"Yeah, but what about **you**?" _Abby said.

_"I will be fine." _Ziva assured her._ "I promise." _

_"As soon as he wakes up you tell him he's dead when he gets home!" _

Ziva smiled. _"I will." _

She handed the phone back to Gibbs, who told Abby where to go from there. Eventually the phone was handed to Vance, who told Gibbs he would be on the next plane out.

Gibbs hung up the phone.

Not ten minutes later, the plane began its decent towards the city below. The EMTs rushed Tony out and into a helicopter. Ziva was forced to stay behind and watch as they sped off.

McGee put a hand on her shoulder. "Ziva, we have a car ready to take us to the hospital." He informed her.

Ziva took one last look at the helicopter and turned and walked back to the car, praying with all her might that the next time she was on a plane, Tony would not be in a casket.

***

Two hours later, Ziva sat settled into one of the waiting room chairs in the Ichilov Hospital ER, staring out at the city through the window, counting the cars as they drove by. So far, in the past thirty minutes alone, she had counted seventy six.

Upon reaching the hospital, Tony had immediately been wheeled into surgery, where he remained. The doctors had told her it could be a while, three to four hours at the least, and that they would let them know when he was out. They had checked Ziva over, x-raying her chest and diagnosing her with three broken ribs and two cracked ones, and numerous bruised ones. The doctor had been perplexed at Ziva's ability to handle the pain.

He had then shown her to a shower that she could use, and Ziva hadn't wanted to climb out of the warm water. She had scrubbed her body clean of the dirt and grim that had covered her for far too long, and washed her tangled hair. She had gently brushed out the curls with a brush until they were silky and smooth to the touch again. She took some scissors to the ends, cutting off about an inch and a half, and without a rubber band to hold it back, she let it hang loose down her back.

McGee had generously provided her with one of the sets of NCIS sweats that he had brought along, and Ziva was more than happy to snuggle into the soft cotton. She had thrown her old, torn, blood-splattered t-shirt and canvas pants away as fast as she could, never wanting to be in their revolting presence again.

Ziva sighed deeply, wincing at the tight bandaging around her torso for her broken ribs. Her ankle was placed in a brace, and she did as the doctor had said and rotated it every fifteen minutes or so.

Ziva had wanted to go for a run, to try and get her mind off of things as they waited, around the hospital outside, but Gibbs had strictly forbidden it, telling her that she wasn't ready for that quite yet. Ziva had wanted to argue with him, tell him she was fine, but she knew it was no use. Her old boss was right, and Ziva knew it, deep in her heart.

After her shower and bandaging, Gibbs and McGee had accompanied Ziva to the hospital cafeteria, ordering something for each of them. Ziva had lost a lot of weight on the ship, and while the sweats would have been large on her anyway, they swallowed her now, and the doctors had told her to try and get her weight back up with a healthy diet and minimal exercise so as not to injure her ribs or ankle any further.

Yet, despite her malnutrition, Ziva could not bring herself to eat.

"You need to eat, Ziver." Gibbs said. "We've got to get your weight back up."

Ziva sighed and put down her fork. "I am not hungry, Gibbs." She said.

"Ziva, we know you're worried." Gibbs placed his hand on hers gently. "But you need to eat. Tony would want you to take care of yourself instead of worrying about him."

Ziva looked down at her sandwich, realizing he was right. Tony _would _want her to eat, to get herself healthy again. He wouldn't want her to worry herself sick, not over him.

_I'm not worth it, Zi, _She could almost hear him saying.

"Yes you are." She whispered so softly neither men heard her. "Yes you are."

She picked up her sandwich and finished it, even eating another for good measure.

Ziva was sure she had now read every single newspaper and magazine in that waiting room twice over. She was positive that if anyone decided to test her knowledge on how to make avocado and asparagus jell-o at any time in her life, she would be well prepared to tell them how to do it, step by step.

Gibbs and McGee had gone outside for some fresh air, leaving Ziva alone to wait for any news of Tony's condition. She sighed, and closed her eyes.

She was just about to drift off when…

"Ziva."

Ziva's eyes snapped open to the sound of his voice. She felt rage building up in her insides, and she forced herself to remain calm as she turned to look into the face of Eli David.

Her father.

Her eyes flicked over him, studying him. He looked older, withered, tired.

"What do you want?" She asked, sharply.

Eli took a step forward.

"Ziva, my daughter." He said. He came towards her, his arm extended as though to hug her.

Ziva blocked his hand, staring her surprised father in the eyes.

"What do you want?" She repeated.

Eli lowered his arm, taking a step back.

"To see you!" He said. "You are my daughter. I have been so worried."

Ziva laughed, bitterly. "You were not worried about me." She said. "You were never concerned for my safety. If you had been, you would not have sent my to my proposed death in Somalia!"

Eli looked at the floor.

"I am sorry, Ziva." He said. "I did not want to do it, but…"

"But what?" Ziva cut him off. "You had no choice? Do not go there, Abba. You always have a choice. You had a choice when you sent Michael to kill me, did you not?"

Eli opened his mouth to speak, but Ziva wasn't finished.

"Yes, you did, and yet you still ordered that he swoon me, sweep me off my feet, make me believe that I was in love with him. And then you ordered him to kill me. And then when you failed to get me out of the way the first time, and Michael came back to Israel dead, you decided it would be best to send me off to Africa. Suicide would be nice and clean, yes?" She stood to her feet and walked closer to Eli. "But then Tony got in the way."

Eli sighed.

"I never meant for Agent DiNozzo to become entrapped in this." He said.

"Perhaps not, but he did." Ziva said. "And now, he is lying on an operating table, fighting for his life because he chose to put me before himself and take a shot meant for _me! _You did not send me to Somalia to kill me. You knew that Amir and his men would not. You sent me to Somalia because you knew that when I did not come back Tony would go looking for answers. You wanted revenge for Michael's death. You were angry with Tony for killing him, and you were angry with me for not dying. Perhaps you thought that you could take out two birds with one stone, but I am afraid to say that it did not work this time, Abba."

Eli's eyes hardened. "So if what you say is true and I _did _send you to Somalia, forced you to make your aliyah, so that he would follow and be killed in the process, why is it that I am here now?"

Ziva stepped back, crossing her arms. "I do not know." She said. "To rub it in my face, maybe?"

"Ziva, you are being ridiculous." Eli said. "Obviously you are suffering from an emotional breakdown. We will discuss this when you return to your Mossad training in due time."

Ziva laughed, biting into Eli's soul like the bitter twang of cinnamon without sugar.

"Mossad?" She said. "I am sorry, but I will not be returning to Mossad."

"Then where will you go?" Eli questioned. "Your liaison position at NCIS has been terminated. You have nowhere to go but back to me!"

"Agent Gibbs had proposed that I return to his team." Ziva said. "And I have taken him up on his offer."

Eli stared at her for a minute. "You cannot be serious, Ziva!" He said. "Your main prerogative has always been family, and I am your father. The only family you have."

"That is where you are wrong, Abba." Ziva said. "You are not my family. A family looks out for one another. A family does not send a member of their family to their deaths by doing their dirty work. A family was something I never truly knew until I met Agent Gibbs and his team. _They _are my family. You are not." Her eyes were dark. "Gibbs had been more of a father to me than you ever have."

This angered Eli and he went red in the face.

"And what of Agent DiNozzo?" He said, knowing it would strike a very sensitive chord. "What is he to you? When I last saw you together, you acted as though you hated him. When I was told you pressed a gun to his chest, I had to ask again if they were sure it had been you."

"I never hated Tony." Ziva said. "I could never have shot him. It is not in my being to do so."

"Since when, Ziva?" Eli yelled. "_When _did it not become a part of you to kill when angered?"

"When I met him!" Ziva screamed back, causing a few of the nurses around them to stop and stare. Luckily there were no other people in the waiting room. "What I met Tony, I found something I did not even know I was missing! I found that even I was capable of compassion and emotion, that all those years of totting a gun and using it when angered had not taken away my ability to love."

"Love is a useless emotion, Ziva." Eli said.

"Then why do you say that you love me, Abba?" She said. "If it is so useless?"

Eli slammed a fist against the wall.

"You sent me to Somalia, and now Tony is paying the price." Ziva said. She suddenly had Eli in a chokehold, and he realized with stunning force how fierce her eyes were, how ready to kill him they were. Him, her own father.

She whispered in his ear, "And if Tony dies, I can assure you that you will as well."

She pushed him away from her, and he stared at her for one brief moment, mouth agape, before turning and walking out the door.

Ziva knew she would never see him again.

As he walked out the door, Gibbs passed him, and he sent a questioning glance at Ziva as she sank back into her chair. Gibbs crossed the room to stand in front of her.

"How did it go?" He asked.

Ziva looked up. "I told him that I am not returning to Mossad." She said. "I lied and told him that you had offered me a position on your team again." Her eyebrows were knit together in aggravation.

"Well, there's a problem." Gibbs said, sitting down next to her.

Ziva looked at him.

"I know I should not have said so." She said. "I know that I may not be welcome on your team. I have probably been replaced."

"Shut up, David." Gibbs said sternly. "You're not 'replaceable.' Not to me, not to anyone. That position is still open, and it's yours."

Ziva was surprised. "You would have me back on your team? Even after what I have put you all through?"

Gibbs nodded. "I raised hell when Vance told me I had to choose another agent. I told him I wouldn't, so I gave the papers to Tony. He put them through a shredder without even looking at them."

Ziva smiled.

"But what of my ability to work for the US, Gibbs?" She asked. "I was only allowed to stay at NCIS under a liaison position for Mossad, and only for four years. I cannot become a citizen for three more years, and I no longer have a blue card."

"Green card." Gibbs corrected. "And that's not something you have to worry about."

"Why not?"

"Let's just say Fornell owes me a couple favors." Gibbs smiled.

At that moment, a doctor stepped through the double doors that led out of the annexation of the ER.

"Agent Gibbs?" She asked in deeply accented English.

Gibbs stood to his feet.

"Yeah?"

The doctor came towards him. "Your agent it out of surgery." She said.

Ziva jumped out of her seat, wincing from her ankle and ribs at the sudden movement.

"Is he alright?" She asked the nurse in Hebrew.

The nurse turned to her. "He suffered multiple injuries." She said. "He had two broken ribs, and a fractured radius in his right arm that seems prior. His shoulder sustained damage, but he was lucky and the knife did not go through the bone, but instead went through to almost touch his shoulder blade. He suffered muscle damage, and will need therapy. We also had to put thirty two stitches in his right hand. It was his heart that we were most worried about."

Ziva felt the color drain from her face.

If Amir had hit his heart…

"The bullet that went into his chest barely missed it, but still did quite a bit of damage. He will be in pain for a while. He also suffered a mild concussion."

"How long do you think it will take him to recover?" Gibbs asked.

"I would say six months before he is ready to return to the strenuous jobs. Deskwork is probably best until the hole in his chest has healed completely and his shoulder has regained strength."

"But will he be alright?" Ziva insisted.

The doctor smiled at Ziva. "I am expecting Agent DiNozzo to make a full recovery, with a lot of care and support." She said.

Ziva was so relieved she could have fainted. Gibbs clamped a hand down on her shoulder, and smiled at the doctor.

"Thanks, doc." He said.

She nodded. "He will not be awake for a long while yet, as we had to pump him with morphine to help with his pain, but you may see him, if you like."

Gibbs nodded. "We would." He said. He looked at Ziva. "You go on in. I'm going to get McGee and tell him. We'll be up in a minute."

Ziva nodded, and walked away with the doctor, who led her past the double doors into a white corridor. She stopped outside a door.

"Please mind his injuries, and the cords." She reminded Ziva. "If anything goes wrong, just press the button on the wall, okay?"

"Thank you." Ziva said. "For saving his life."

The doctor smiled at her and walked away.

Ziva took a deep breath, gathering her courage before she placed her hand on the doorknob and turned it, stepping into the dimly lit room. Her eyes scanned the room for a moment before settling on the bed at its center, and her sharp intake of breath caused her heart to stop beating for one, agonizing minute.

Tony's face was white, so pale that Ziva was sure it could not belong to a living being. A white bandage covered his chest, and tubes connected to beeping machines jutted out of his body in multiple places.

Ziva was aware that she was shaking as she approached him, her eyes never leaving his pallid face. How could such a man as Tony, so full of life and energy, suddenly seem so weak and fragile?

His wrists were red, obviously from where the rope had suspended in the air. His shoulder was wrapped in the same white gauze as his chest, and his right arm was in a sling again, with the tiniest of black wire stitching the skin of the palm back together visible.

"Oh, God, Tony." Ziva whispered, bringing her hand to her mouth. "Tony, I am so, so sorry." She seized his good hand in hers and squeezed it gently. "I am so sorry."

Her hand left his to gently stroke his forehead, playing with the mousy brown spikes of hair. Her fingers grazed the warm bruise lightly, and she pulled away.

"I am so sorry, Tony." She said. "I hope that you will find it in your heart to forgive me."

Carefully minding the wires and bandages that surrounded him, she climbed up onto the bed, squeezing her slender body between him and the bed railing. She stared at him intently, playing with his hair as the tears slipped down her cheeks and onto her sweatshirt.

"I love you." She whispered in his ear. "I love you, Tony. I am so sorry."

She closed her eyes, and allowed herself to cry.

Unbeknownst to her, Gibbs and McGee had walked into the room, and were now watching her with tired, sad eyes.

"It's not fair, is it, boss?" McGee whispered. "That when they finally find each other they're at risk of getting torn apart again."

"No, Tim, it's not fair." Gibbs agreed, and McGee saw something akin to distant longing in his eyes, and he knew Gibbs was remembering Jenny. "But DiNozzo's strong. He'll fight. He'll be alright."

"What makes you say that, boss?" McGee asked. "He'll fight for Ziva?"

Gibbs' eyes never left the two bodies on the bed. "He'll fight for her, alright." He said. "But DiNozzo's not going to die. He knows better."

"Why's that?"

Gibbs tore his eyes away from Ziva and looked at McGee.

"Because I haven't given him permission to die yet."


	10. Chapter 9

**Shorter chapter than my previous chappies, but... :)**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter! Lots of fluff, and revelations! Oh, and one more surprise visit!**

**Please review!**

_Disclaimer: NCIS not mine._

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**Star of David**

_By doodlegirll_

***

**Chapter Nine**

Ziva was sure she would have stayed like that all day had she not heard the footsteps of the nurse coming to check Tony's bandages. Ziva scuttled herself off the bed as fast as she could, without hurting Tony or herself, to stand at his side, her hand still in her hers.

The nurse came in, and smiled sweetly at Ziva, who gave a small smile back.

"Miss, I am going to have to ask you to please step back. I need to make sure his bandages are tight."

"Yes, of course." Ziva let go of Tony's hand and stepped back, allowing the nurse to do her job.

"How long will it be before he wakes up?" She dared to ask.

"I'm not sure." The nurse answered her. "Probably not for the rest of today, I would assume. He's been through a lot, miss. Lucky to be alive."

"I know." Ziva said. "I am very much aware of that."

The nurse finished what she was doing and threw her latex gloves in the trash receptacle beside the bed.

"If you don't mind me asking," she said. "Do you know what happened to him? You seem fairly close to him…boyfriend?"

Ziva shook her head. "Partner." She said. "We work together." She stared at his face, the oxygen tubes in his nose, the IVs in his good arm. "He did it to save me. He and I were kidnapped, and they tortured him. They tried to kill me, but he took it instead." She swallowed the lump at the back of her throat, telling herself that she would not cry in the nurse's presence.

The nurse smiled sympathetically. "He must care about you very much." She said softly, reaching out to lay a comforting hand on Ziva's arm.

"Yes…" Ziva said slowly. "He does."

"Would you like me to get a chair for you?" The nurse said.

"Yes, please." Ziva said. "I would appreciate it very much."

The nurse nodded and walked out of the room, returning with a chair from the hallway moments later. She placed it close to Tony's bedside, and Ziva settled herself into it.

"Thank you." She said.

"You're welcome." The nurse said. "My name is Bekkah. Let me know if there is anything I can do for you, okay?"

Ziva nodded. "Thank you, Bekkah."

Bekkah left the room, leaving Ziva alone with the sleeping Tony once more.

Ziva looked back at Tony, reached out to lightly touch his cheek.

"Ani ochevet otcha." She whispered.

Suddenly very tired, Ziva leant forward onto the bed, laying her head on the cool sheets. She let out a long sigh, and soon drifted off into unconsciousness.

***

"Ziva."

Ziva was awakened to someone gently shaking her shoulder, a quiet voice whispering in her ear.

"Ziva, wake up."

Ziva blinked open her bleary eyes to find McGee.

"McGee?" She whispered. "What are you doing here?"

"Gibbs sent me." McGee said. "He wants you to come downstairs and eat dinner."

Ziva frowned. "Dinner…?"

McGee nodded. "You've been asleep all afternoon. It's six o'clock now. We had to have the nurses bring in a cot and lay you down on that, since you were getting in the way."

Ziva sat up, looking around the room wildly.

"Where is Tony?"

"He's across the room." McGee said. "He's sleeping. They gave him more painkillers."

Ziva relaxed. "So he is comfortable?"

"For now." McGee said. "Now come on; Gibbs is waiting."

He helped Ziva to stand, her sore and battered body screaming in protest at being awakened from the fitful nap she had just had. He led her down the hall back towards the waiting room.

Almost as soon as the double doors were opened, Ziva was enveloped in a huge, but very gentle, hug. Startled, Ziva looked down to find Abby clinging to her the way a child would a teddy bear.

"Ziva!" She said, delighted. "You're awake!"

"Abby?" Ziva said. "What are you doing here?"

The young Goth released her and took a step back, her bubbly smile lightening the room.

"Vance booked a flight as soon as he got word." She explained. "I sort of tagged along."

"More like snuck along." A stoic Vance strode up behind Abby. "But I couldn't leave her there. She had her bags packed and everything."

Abby grinned. "Ducky came, too."

Ziva looked up around the room, and spotted the elderly MD smiling a few feet from her.

"Ducky!" She said, hugging him. "It is so good to see you!"

"And you, my dear." Ducky replied. "I hear you have had quite the adventure."

"What of your mother? And Palmer?" Ziva asked.

"Mr. Palmer is very capable of taking over in my absence, my dear." Ducky said. "He will need to be, someday. And as for my mother, she's taken a trip with a few of the ladies she plays bingo with every Saturday. Cancun, I believe."

Ziva smiled, and glanced around the room. The entire team had come all the way to Tel Aviv, and had settled into the Ichilov Hospital waiting room. Small belongings littered the area: Abby's CD player and umbrella off in a corner, McGee's laptop in the chair next to it; Ducky's old hat that he was fond of, along with his rain slicker and an old volume of _Greek Mythology_. Empty soda cans lay lost and abandoned on the small intables next to the chairs, and a large Caf-Pow cup sat on the floor next to Abby's umbrella.

"How long have you been here?" She asked.

"About three hours." Abby answered. "Gibbs said you were sleeping, and said it was a good idea to leave you alone for a little while."

Ziva's eyes flicked to Gibbs across the room. They shared brief eye contact, then Ziva looked back at Abby.

"Gibbs told us you're coming back to NCIS!" Abby said. "Are you really or is he playing a really sadistic joke?"

Ziva laughed at the forensic scientist's energy. "Yes, Abby, I am returning to NCIS." She said. "Whenever Tony is allowed to travel again."

The room was quiet at the mention of Tony. Abby's smile faded and she chewed her lip nervously.

"How is he?" She dared to ask.

"Sleeping." McGee spoke. "Peacefully."

Abby let out a sigh of relief.

"Hey, guys," Gibbs's voice sounded above the crowd. "I'm hungry. 'S time we get some dinner."

No one's stomach dared argue with Gibbs. Everyone nodded in agreement, but Ziva hung back.

"What if he wakes up while we are gone?" She asked.

"A nurse will come get us." Gibbs said. "You're not staying here. You need to get something down."

"I do not want him to wake up alone, Gibbs." Ziva said.

"He'll be fine."

Ziva opened her mouth to continue the argument when Ducky stepped forward.

"You know, cafeteria food never was a favorite of mine." He said. "Always did horrible things to my insides. I'll stay here with Anthony while the rest of you go and get something to eat. I can pick something up when you come back."

Ziva looked at him, grateful, and then looked at Gibbs, who nodded his approval.

"Thanks, Duck." He said.

"My pleasure." Ducky said with a smile. He looked at Ziva. "Now you go and try to get your mind off things. I'll let you know if he wakes up."

Ziva pecked Ducky on the cheek.

"Thank you, Ducky." She said, and walked away with the others.

Ducky smiled, and asked a nurse to try and help him find Tony's room. The nurse introduced herself as Bekkah, and quietly took him to Tony's room.

"Thank you, Bekkah." Ducky said.

"You're welcome, Mr…"

"Ducky."

"You're welcome, Mr. Ducky." Bekkah said with a smile.

Ducky walked inside the room, spotting a chair beside the bed where the listless Tony lay. Ducky gradually crossed the room and sat down.

Ducky was used to staring death in the face. He was an MD, and a soldier, and he had seen more dead bodies and human remains than there were horror movies in existence. But never in his life had he seen such a deathly face on someone still alive.

"Dear Lord, Tony," he said quietly. "What have you gotten yourself into this time?"

Tony's heart monitor beeping regularly was the only response he received.

"You know, Ziva is quite worried about you." Ducky said, talking to the comatose form in front of him. "She almost refuses to let you out of her sight, the poor thing. I believe she feels somewhat responsible for what happened, for you putting your life on the line for her." He smiled. "That was quite noble of you, Anthony, but very stupid as well. Look where it has landed you.

"I do fear that if you do not wake up soon, my dear boy, we may be forced to put a feeding tube down Ziva's throat. She is so concerned for you that she refuses to take care of herself, no matter what Jethro or anyone tries to tell her." He looked at closed eyelids. "She loves you. Very much."

For a moment, Ducky was unsure what to say, unsure where to go from there. Words seemed to fall short on his tongue, and he smiled to himself. It wasn't often that that happened.

"That waiting room is much too quiet without you there to entertain us." He finally said. "I think we could all use one of your movie references right about now. You know, I actually came up with one myself the other day, and I meant to tell you about it. It was from an older movie about the Last World War, called _The Great Escape. _I was going to ask you if you had seen it. If I remember correctly, it was Bartlett who said that the Gestapo did not plan to give him as much trouble as he planned to give them." Ducky chuckled. "Ah, well, it was quite funny the first time."

He swallowed, and about ten minutes later he heard the double doors at the end of the hall open and close, and footsteps grew closer.

"Ah, that's probably Ziva." He said. "Probably done with her dinner. I think I'll go see what I can find myself." He stood to his feet, and turned away from Tony to walk away, but paused, and turned back to him.

"You know, my dear boy," he said softly. "In all my years on this earth, I have found that generally, something worth dying for is also worth _living_ for. I do hope, if nothing else, you remember that."

He could have sworn he saw Tony's fingers twitch.

***

Hours later, after everyone had left the hospital to retire for the night at their hotel, Ziva stared out the window of the room they had moved Tony to. Out above the city lights were billions upon billions of stars. They twinkled and lit up the moonless night, like little eyes winking back at her. Ziva found herself transfixed, staring out into the infinite space that danced above everyone's heads, wondering why she had never really stopped to look at the stars and admire their beauty.

Ziva David was a changed woman.

Across the room, his heart monitor beeping in a regular music-like rhythm, Tony still slept. Ziva had seen no movement come from him since she had returned from dinner at six thirty, and it was now eleven twenty one. She had stayed at his side, refusing to leave him alone for the night, despite Gibbs' demands. His respect for Ziva would not allow him to head-slap some sense into her, so he had given in and let her stay at the hospital with strict instructions to let him know if she needed anything, no matter the time of night.

Abby had surprised her with a duffle bag of clothes, explaining that she had found them in her apartment from a time when she and Ziva had had a girl's night watching movies and Ziva had accidentally left them there. Ziva had taken the bag gratefully, and while she was still dressed in the NCIS sweats, she was glad to have something of her own to change into come the morning. Maybe she would feel more like Ziva.

"I wish you could see the stars, Tony." She said. "They really are beautiful. I have never noticed before now." She smiled to herself. "Now I am starting to act like Ducky. I know that you cannot hear me and yet I am talking to you as thought you can." She tore her eyes away from the brilliant lights to look back at him, her eyes threatening to mist over again. "I wish that you would wake up." She whispered.

Still, Tony did not move.

Ziva sighed and took one last look at the sky before turning and walking back to his bedside, once again taking his large hand into her small one.

"I am waiting, Tony." She whispered. "When you are ready, I will be here."

***

_"Please, Tony, do not die…I cannot lose you, not now…You have to hold on…"_

_"Muscle damage. That bullet was lucky not to hit his heart…"_

_"Watch his shoulder…"_

_"Find it in your heart to forgive me…"_

_"Ani ochevet otcha…"_

_"Something worth dying for is also worth living for…"_

_"When you are ready, I will be here…"_

Tony groaned as he opened his eyes to a blinding white light. His body ached, and his head spun around like a carousel.

But the biggest question of the day was not _why _he hurt like he did, but _where _exactly he was.

Tony sat up, rubbing his head. He looked around, but all he saw was white. Pure, blinding, white. The deafening silence caused him to become quite uncomfortable, and he couldn't help but wonder why it was so quite when he was _sure _he had just heard voices…Ziva's voice…

"Hello?" He dared to call. "Is anyone there?"

His voice did not echo, but he definitely made the sound, and this only confused him more. How had he gotten here? Why did everything around him remind him of being trapped in gigantic marshmallow?

He struggled to his feet, squinting off into the distance.

There was nothing. Absolutely nothing.

"Hello, Tony."

The voice caused him to nearly jump out of his skin, and he turned on his heel to face the person it belonged to. As he did, he froze.

There, in front of him, dressed in almost all white, was the figure of a woman. She had dark brown hair that fell to her shoulders, hazel-brown eyes, and a soft smile. A light brighter than the whiteness itself radiated behind her, and she smiled at Tony.

Tony took a step towards her.

"Kate?" He asked softly. "Is that you?"

The woman nodded. "Yes, Tony. It's me."

Tony walked closer. "But…you died…I saw it…I had your blood on my face…I was _there…_"

Kate looked at him warmly. "I've missed you, Tony." She said.

"Yeah, me too." Tony said. He swallowed, almost afraid to ask the question on his tongue. "Am I dead?"

Kate laughed lightly and shook her head.

"No, Tony, you're not dead." She said.

"Then how…?"

"I've been sent to tell you that it's time for you to wake up now, Tony. It's not your time to die yet." Kate interrupted him. "I've been watching over you for a long time, Tony, and I know what you've been through, and I know you would like to give up, but you can't." She walked up to him, and Tony wanted badly to hug her, but he knew that he should listen to what it was she had to say. Obviously it was important.

"You have someone that still needs you, Tony." Kate said. "Someone that loves you very much."

Tony swallowed. "Ziva." He whispered.

Kate nodded. "Ziva needs you, Tony." She said. "She needs you there more than I need you here with me."

"I really have missed you, Kate." Tony said. "You have no idea."

"Oh, I think I do." Kate said. "And that's why Ziva was brought into your life. Everything happens for a reason, Tony. Even death." Her eyes glittered. "But Ziva wasn't just brought to you to help you fill the void that my death left. She was sent to teach you to love, and to let go in a way that you've never experienced before."

Tony chewed the inside of his cheek.

"She loves you, Tony." Kate said. "And I know, because I know you, that you love her, too."

He bent his head. "I didn't want them to hurt her…not after all she had already been through…"

"I know." Kate placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, and he found it warm to the touch, like she was made of sunshine.

"I love her, Kate." Tony said. "When I first met her, I didn't know what to think of her…she was so _different…_and she wasn't you. For a long time I didn't want anyone but you there…you were like a sister to me, my best friend in the world…"

"I've been watching over you, Tony." Kate reminded him. "I know. I heard you talk to me at my funeral, and I hear you talk to me when you visit my grave sometimes."

Tony smiled. "Good to know."

Kate returned the smile. "It's time for you to wake up now, Tony." She said.

Tony grabbed her into a huge hug, which she returned.

"You'll see me again, Tony." She said as she stepped back. "Someday, you'll see me again."

"How can you be so sure, Kate?"

"Because you have a good heart." Kate answered. "Goodbye, Tony. Until we meet again."

She stepped back and was gone.

Green eyes opened.

* * *

**Random bit of trivia for those of you that don't know: David McCallum actually played in the movie _The Great Escape. _He played Lt. Cmdr. Eric Ashley-Pitt, Dispersal. :) Thought that might be fun to throw in!**

**Oh, and a****_ni ochevet otcha _means 'I love you' in Hebrew. **


	11. Chapter 10

**Alrighty fellow Tiva fans, before you get to this chapter, please take a gander at this:**

**Spoilers for the season seven premiere have been leaked out onto the internet, and according to _NCIS _Executive Producer Shane Brennan, the first three episodes of season seven will have Tony and Ziva's relationship "evolve rapidly." :) Good news? I would like to think so!!**

**Also, season seven starts September 22. Mark your calenders!!!**

**EDIT: Sorry for the multiple updates on this chapter! I've written this without a beta, and as I read it, I realize, "Wow, I suck!" In saying this, I hope everyone's in character in this chappie! This is the last update, I promise!**

_Disclaimer: NCIS not mine._

**_

* * *

_**

**Star of David**

_By doodlegirll_

***

**Chapter Ten**

At first he was unsure where he was. His vision was blurred with pain, most of it on his right side. He heard beeping, but he wasn't sure where it was coming from. The room was dimly lit, the walls a pale off white. At least it was as blinding as wherever he had been a moment ago…

He felt pressure on his left hand, and his eyes flicked towards it to find that it was being held by two smaller hands. A small body was sitting in a chair close to his bed – his hospital bed, he realized – hunched over to where dark hair shielded the face from view.

But Tony knew who it was, even with his mind as fuzzy as it was.

He tried to open his mouth to say her name, but his throat was sore and raw. He remembered the screaming, the immense pain, and suddenly all he cared about what if Ziva was okay. He knew that she must be, since she was here, holding his hand.

While he had been asleep, he was so sure he had heard her, heard her talking to him. He couldn't connect what all she had said; the words were jumbled and confusing, and many were not the whole of the conversation.

It took him a moment to realize that she was crying. She was crying, and speaking in hushed tones to him in mixed English and Hebrew.

"Please, wake up soon. Ani ochevet otcha, Tony. I cannot lose you." She whispered.

_Ani ochevet otcha. _

Tony didn't know much Hebrew, but he knew what that meant.

He finally was able to get one tiny little sound out, a low groan as he inhaled deeply.

Ziva's head snapped up like a rocket taking off, and found him moving, his eyes still closed.

"Tony?" She whispered, almost afraid to ask in case her eyes were playing a trick on her. "Tony?"

His eyes opened, and he turned his head to look at her. A small smile played on his features.

"Miss me, sweetcheeks?" He managed to get out, his words a little slurred from all the medication.

Ziva's brown eyes were the most beautiful things to wake up to, he reasoned. Especially when they lit up like they did when she saw that he was awake.

"Tony!" She breathed. "My God, Tony!"

One of her hands left his to gently touch his face, make sure he was real, make sure that she was not dreaming.

He squeezed her hand, assuring her he was really there.

"Hey, Zi."

Within seconds tears began to stream down Ziva's cheeks and she buried her face on the side of his bed.

Tony was unsure what to do. His drugged mind wouldn't allow him to think very hard, or do very much, but he knew he had to comfort her, somehow.

He lifted his hand to gentle stroke her hair.

"Sh, Zi, it's alright." He murmured. "It's just me."

He couldn't possibly understand what this had done to her. He could never really understand how she had felt since he had been thrown into that cell. And now that he was awake, and alive, it was finally over. Finally, finally, it was over.

"Tony…" She heaved. "Tony…"

"I'm right here." He slurred.

She lifted her head to look at him, and she smiled.

"You sound like a sluggard." She said.

Tony's eyebrows crinkled.

"'M not a bum." He said, and Ziva chuckled.

He blinked, and as he did, the blurriness began to clear, slowly but surely.

"Where am I?" He asked.

"Ichilov Hospital, Tel Aviv." She answered. He looked at her, confused.

"Tel Aviv?" He asked.

She nodded. "Yes. We had to fly you out of Mogadishu to…" She swallowed the memory like a bitter pill. "To save your life."

The screaming. Other memories began to fit together, like the many pieces of a puzzle. He saw Amir flick out a gun, aiming it at Ziva's head. He remembered the panic, the sudden adrenaline rush despite his pain as he grabbed Ziva and pushed her to the floor just as Amir pulled the trigger. He remembered the feeling of the bullet entering his chest, falling to the floor. For a brief moment he heard shouting, cursing, and shuffling. He heard gunshots, and he knew, he just _knew _that Ziva was dead…

And then she was hovering over him, pressing down as hard as she could on his chest. God, it hurt…

"How long?" He asked. "How long have I…been out?"

Ziva looked at the clock on the wall.

"Almost sixteen hours." She said.

"What happened?"

"Amir shot you." She said. "And then Gibbs showed up. He and McGee had followed you here using your cell phone. It was not completely destroyed when Amir crushed it, and after Amir shot you, they heard the gunshots and found us."

"What happened to Amir?"

"He is dead." Ziva said. "Along with Tamul and Jamid."

His still slightly glassy eyes dawned in realization.

"You shot them?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"Where's Gibbs?"

Ziva opened her mouth to reply, but at that moment, one of the night nurses walked in to check on them. Seeing Tony awake and coherent, talking to Ziva, she quickly crossed the room to press a button on the wall to call the doctors in.

Not a minute later, the doctor that Ziva had spoken to earlier came rushing in, a male nurse at her heels. They pushed between her and Tony, and she let go of his hand and stood back, looking slightly peeved.

"You gave us quite a scare there, Agent DiNozzo." The doctor told him as she carefully examined him. "You almost died."

He winced, gritting his teeth, hissing in pain as they moved him too much. He screwed his eyes closed tightly, and his heart rate increased rapidly.

The doctor looked alarmed.

"Joseph," she said to the male nurse. "Give him another dose of morphine, and a dose of sleeping meds, too."

Joseph nodded and went to cross the room to prepare the drugs.

"No." Tony said through his clenched teeth. "No more drugs."

The doctor looked at him as though he had three heads.

"You are delirious, Agent DiNozzo." She said. "You have just suffered a traumatic incident."

"'M not delirious." He said. "I don't want any more drugs. I wanna talk."

"But you are in pain…"

"I wanna talk to Ziva." He said, opening his eyes to look at the doctor. "No more drugs."

The male nurse came up behind the doctor, ready to administer the drugs into Tony's IV, but the doctor shook her head.

"No, let him talk." She said. "It might do him good."

Tony looked past the doctor and nurses at Ziva. He held his hand out to her, and the doctor stepped aside for her. She took a few steps forward, taking his outstretched hand.

The erratic beeping from Tony's heart monitor began to slow back to a comfortable level.

The doctor turned to her nurses. "Give them a few minutes." She said. "We'll be outside."

Ziva nodded her thanks, and the doctor left the room. She turned her attention back to Tony.

"What is wrong?" She asked.

"D'they hurt you?" He asked, and she knew he was referring to Amir.

She shook her head.

"No." She said. "They were dead before they could try."

"You shot them?"

"Yes."

"Whose gun?"

"Tamul's."

He looked disappointed. "I was hoping you'd use Amir's." He said. "The bastard."

Ziva smiled and gently reached out to touch the bandaging on his chest.

"You almost died." She said quietly. "I was afraid I was going to lose you."

"I'm not going anywhere." She noted that his tone of voice was beginning to get stronger, but it still sounded weak and lethargic. "I heard you talking to me."

She felt her heart begin to pound. What all had he heard?

"Did you mean it?" He asked.

"Mean what?" She tried to feign innocence.

"What you said." He said. "When you said you loved me in Hebrew?"

Did she detect a hint of hope in his voice?

She was almost unsure what to say. A part of her wanted to scream "Yes!" while the other wanted to begin crying again. Of course she loved him. And those eyes had told her, back on that ship's floor, that he felt the same.

"Yes." She said after a minute. "Yes, I did."

He smiled, and sighed. "Good." He said. He closed his eyes, suddenly very tired, despite his long nap.

She rubbed his hand soothingly. "Sleep now." She said.

His tired gaze rested on her. "Don't wanna."

The doctor reentered the room.

"I was hoping I could speak to Agent DiNozzo for a moment?" She said. "To explain what has happened."

Ziva nodded, and moved to step back when Tony's grip on her hand tightened.

"Stay here?" He said. "Please?"

"I will not be far, Tony." She assured him. "I am going to call Gibbs and tell him you are awake. I will just be outside."

"Okay." Tony said, letting go of her.

She smiled at him reassuringly as she left the room, allowing the doctor and nurses to swarm him like a pack of vultures. She stepped out into the hallway, pulling the phone Abby had thrown at her, dialing Gibbs' number.

After two rings, the phone was picked up.

"Yeah, Gibbs." Gibbs' slightly groggy voice said.

"Gibbs." She said. "He is awake."

"What?" Gibbs still did not sound fully awake.

"Tony." Ziva said. "He is awake."

"What? When?" He began to sound more alert.

"A few minutes ago." She answered. "He is talking to the doctors now."

"I'll be right over." With that, Gibbs hung up the phone, and Ziva turned to go back into the room

***

Gibbs quickly threw back his covers, setting his feet on the cool plush carpet of the hotel room he was sharing with McGee.

He crossed the dark room, grabbing his jacket from the back of a chair, slipping it onto his shoulders. He holstered his gun, fidgeting with it in the dark.

He heard the rustle of covers behind him, and McGee's head poked out of the cocoon.

"Boss?" He asked. "What are you going?" He looked at the clock. "It's past midnight."

"I know, McGee." Gibbs said. "I'm going to the hospital."

McGee flicked on the light beside him. "Is something wrong?"

Gibbs finished gathering his things and headed for the door.

"Tony's awake." He said. "Ziva called."

"Do you want me to come?"

"No, stay and get some sleep." Gibbs said. "You could use it."

McGee half smiled, and nodded. "Kay, boss. Call if something comes up."

Gibbs walked out the door, closing it as quietly as he could.

He walked down the hall, past the other doors that housed the rest of his team. Vance and Ducky had bunked together, and Abby had gotten her room, which she said she would share with Ziva if she ever chose to spend the night at the hotel instead of at the hospital. Gibbs suspected that now that Tony was awake, that wasn't going to happen any time soon.

Just as he passed Abby's room, the door flew open, and Abby's pigtailed head poked out.

"Gibbs!" She said. "Where are you going?"

"The hospital." He said.

Abby stepped out. "Is something wrong?"

"Tony's awake."

Abby smiled and put her hands to her mouth to contain the squeal of happiness that threatened to escape.

"When? Can we see him? Is he in pain? When can he go home? Is he talking?" She took Gibbs by the shoulders. "_Has he kissed Ziva yet?!"_

Gibbs gently removed her hands.

"He woke up a few minutes ago, and I think you should wait til tomorrow to see him, Abs. Yes, he's in pain, and I don't know when he can go home. Yes, he's talking." He turned her around, steering her back towards her room. "And no, I don't think he's kissed her yet, Abby."

Abby turned around, placing her hands on his hips. "Tell him that I said to hurry up!" She said. "He'll know what you mean."

Gibbs turned to walk away. "Get some sleep, Abs." He said. "No more caffeine."

"Yes sir!" He heard Abby say, and then he heard her door click shut. Smiling, he pressed the button to the elevator, and headed out towards the road to grab a late night cab.

***

"Your right palm was slashed, and we had to give you thirty two stitches." The doctor rambled on Tony's list of injuries. "But it was your chest we were most worried about. We accessed your records and found that you are at risk of developing pneumonia because of a case of Y. pestis you had a few years back. You'll need to take it easy when you get home."

"When exactly am I going home, doc?"

"I'd say you should stay here another week, at most. Just until you're strong enough to move around. And when you do get home, I want you to stick to the easy jobs for six months. I'll let you decide when you want to return to work, but you take it easy, got it?"

Tony groaned and sank his head back into the pillow. "_Six months_?"

The doctor nodded. "Six months."

"But that's like forever…for me, at least." Tony complained.

The doctor smiled sympathetically. "Sorry, Agent DiNozzo. That's how it is."

She looked towards the door, and Ziva came back in. Tony lifted his head from the pillow, grinning at her. The doctor noted the look between the two, and decided it was best to give the two some more time alone.

"I'll come back in an hour, when we'll give you your sleeping medication. Does that sound fine to you, Agent DiNozzo?"

"One hour. Got it." Tony said.

The doctor left the room, leaving the two alone.

Ziva returned to her post at his bedside, and he turned his body as best he could to look at her.

"What did Gibbs say?" He asked.

"That he is on his way here." Ziva answered. "He was worried about you. We all were."

"Wow, the boss actually said he was worried about me?"

"Well, maybe he did not say it outright, but yes, he was."

"Was I really that bad off?"

Ziva looked at him, trying to keep her face emotionless. Images of him bloody, half dead in her arms flashed in front of her eyes, and she shuddered, closing her eyes, shielding her brown orbs from him as she tried desperately to make the memories go away. She was already tortured enough with the memories of the past month; wasn't that enough?

"I thought you were going to die, right there in front of me." She whispered. "I was afraid that I had lost you. I have lost many in my life – my mother, my sister, my brother – and I did not want to lose you as well." She avoided looking at him. "I did not want you to die before I had a chance to tell you how I really felt, how I have always felt about you. I hated Amir for what he had done to me, but what he did to you made me hate him more. The second he pulled that trigger, and shot you, when I saw you fall, I hated him more than I have ever hated anyone. I hated him for hurting you, for using you. I hated him for taking you away from me."

"God, Zi, I didn't know…"

"You could not have known." She said. "And I am sorry for the way I treated you before, when we were in Tel Aviv last time. I should not have reacted the way I did."

"I killed someone close to you." Tony said. "You were reacting the way you should've."

"But I did not." Ziva said. "I was confused, Tony. My life had become a tangled web of lies so fast that I did not know how to handle it. I felt as though everyone had turned against me. I felt that you had betrayed me by getting involved with my life. I knew Michael had lied to me by planning to kill me. I knew that my father had ordered it. I knew that you were only trying to protect me, and I should have listened to you when you offered an explanation.

"I wanted to know _why. Why _had my life taken such a turn in such a small amount of time? How could I have let this happen? I was angry with myself more than anyone for not seeing it sooner. I loved you, but I tried to convince myself that I did not, that you did not love me, that Michael was the man I loved. But I always knew, deep inside of me, that he was not. But even though I knew he had stabbed me in the back, I did not want him to die. I have known him my whole life, and he was just as much a brother to me as Ari was, or McGee is. I had created a fantasy, and when I saw that reality overshadowed it, I was not happy."

She finally made eye contact.

"Remember when you asked me if I had ever lied to someone I loved?"

Tony nodded.

"You said that no one ever survived to find out."

She sighed. "Yes." She said. "And I lied to you, and I almost lost you for it."

She suddenly stood to her feet, walking over to the window to stare out at the stars once again. A sliver of a moon had risen above the horizon, and it appeared to be imitating the Cheshire cat with its cheesy smile, the stars its eyes and nose. Ziva crossed her arms, her back to Tony, refusing to let him see her cry.

"Ziva." He called in a soft voice. "Ziva, please look at me."

She brushed away the tears and faced him. He held his hand out to her again, and from a distance, Ziva could see the bruises that covered his body clearly. Dark purple blotches covered the bare skin his bandages did not hide from view, the rest of the surrounding areas a dull, pale yellow. He still looked incredibly weak, and Ziva could tell that even lifting his good arm was a challenge; he was, by reaching out to her, asking her to be his strength and be there for him.

He had come to rescue her, and nearly gotten himself killed in the process.

She owed him that.

She went to him, taking his hand, sitting once again into the chair.

"I've lied to you for a long time." He admitted. "So I guess you could say we're in the same boat. I wanted to save you; not to save my sorry-ass conscience, but because I love you so much, Zi."

She smiled, and for many moments they said nothing. They just enjoyed being together, having each other.

"Does it hurt?" She finally asked.

"What?"

"Your arm. Your chest." She said, nodding.

He moved his shoulder, instantly wishing he hadn't.

"Yeah." He said. "Like hell."

"You will have to go to therapy when you get home." She said.

At the word _home_, Tony looked as though he were somewhere else, somewhere far away. He finally spoke.

"Where's home to you, Ziva?" He asked.

"What do you mean?"

"What are you going to do?"

"Gibbs asked me to return to his team." Ziva said. "And I agreed."

Tony's face brightened as he smiled.

"Does that mean you're going to be my partner again?"

"Yes, if you will have me."

"I wouldn't have anyone else."

She laughed. "Gibbs told me that you put two potential agents' files through a grater."

"Shredder, Zee-vah." He said. "And yeah, I did. They weren't you."

"You could have chosen one of them. I'm sure they were good agents."

"They weren't you." He repeated. "And I knew, call it a gut feeling, that you would come back, when you were ready."

"I had a confrontation with my father." She informed him.

He looked worried. "What happened?"

"I told him that I would not be returning to Mossad." Ziva said, keeping most of the details to herself. "And I told him that I knew of what he had done to me, and that he was not my father anymore."

Tony winced. "That was harsh, Zi."

"He deserved it." Her tone of voice was hard. "And I do not regret what I said to him."

"I paid him a visit myself while I was here three days ago." He said. "I wormed information out of him, and he didn't like it too much."

"There is little my father does like."

"What's one thing?"

Ziva thought a minute.

"Believe it or not, kittens." She said.

Tony's laugh echoed through the small room like thunder rolling off of hills.

"Big Bad Mossad Daddy, Kitten Lover." He joked. "Now _that _is funny!"

Ziva soon joined in with his laughter, and she found herself beginning to feel more and more like herself, more and more like the Ziva she had left behind in DC. She slowly began to feel that everything was beginning to go back to normal, if there was ever a such thing.

She suddenly found her lips pressing his, gently, but firmly. At first he seemed surprised, not only at the sudden action but that it was she that had initiated it, but he soon found himself returning it, passion sparking with each passing second. His hand left his side, and found its way to her cheek, and her one of her small, tanned hands came up to entangle her fingers with his.

Nothing would ever mean more to the two of them than this moment, right now.

Finally, after years of incessant flirting, teasing, and spit balls, the feelings they had tried to keep under lock and key were out and freed from their chains.

The kiss was broken by the sound of someone clearing their throat from the front of the room. They turned, startled, to look at the doorway, finding Gibbs standing there, a satisfied grin on his face.

"It's about time." He said. "Maybe now Abby will stop threatening you two behind your backs."

Tony and Ziva glanced at each other, unsure of what to say.

Gibbs walked forward.

"How're you feeling, DiNozzo?" He asked.

Tony made a face. "Is that a trick question, boss?"

Gibbs chuckled. "Good." He said. He eyed their joined hands. "Do I need to go over Rule Twelve again?"

"Um, you just said…" Tony started.

"Can it, DiNozzo." Gibbs said, not unkindly. "Just keep it out of the office, got it?"

"Got it, boss." They both said in unison.

"Good to see you awake, Tony." Gibbs said. "We were getting worried for a while there."

"Yeah, Ziva told me." Tony said, grinning up at him. "Come on and admit it."

"Admit what, DiNozzo?"

"That you were worried about me."

Gibbs' face remained straight. "You knew better than to die on us, DiNozzo." He said. "I never gave you permission to."

Tony's face fell. "Right." He glanced at Ziva.

"Ziver, Abby told me to tell you that you're welcome to the extra bed in her hotel room if you want it." Gibbs said to Ziva. "And I think you might want to take her up on that offer."

"But Gibbs, I— "

"That wasn't a request, David." He said. "You can't spend every second of every day here. You need to stay active and get your strength back up. Besides, Abby could use the company."

Ziva smiled. "Alright." She said. "I will."

"Good. You'd better get your butt there now and get some sleep. She was still hyped up on caffeine when I left. I'll stay here with Tony." Gibbs looked back at his agent. "That alright with you, DiNozzo?"

"Yes, boss." Tony said. "Fine by me."

Gibbs nodded. "The cab is waiting down in the parking lot, Ziva." He said. "It'll take you back to the hotel."

Ziva gave him a nod, turning back to Tony.

"I will be back tomorrow, yes?" She whispered as she kissed his forehead.

"I'll be waiting." He said. "Night, Ziva."

She squeezed his hand before nodding once again to Gibbs, grabbing the duffle bag Abby had brought her from the floor, and walking out to the elevator.

As the doors closed, she smiled.


	12. Chapter 11

**Okay, very short chapter compared to my others, but for a while there, I wasn't sure where to go with it!**

**And this is my last week of summer vacation before I have to give up my parole and return to the prison I call high school as a senior. My senior year is going to be CRAZY (because what senior year isn't?) because I have a lot of strenuous classes scheduled, AND I've been made the editor of this year's yearbook, so...yeah, busy girl will I be! I've been trying to savor this past week, and I've spent most of my time hanging out with one of my best friends/little sister Mandy, and reading a lot, and I've had a couple arguments and problems with one of my other besties, so I've had an emotional thunderstorm going on inside of me...gotta hate the drama, right?**

**Oh, and I have a child in the form of a three month old Shih Tzu puppy named Rex, and he is not pottytrained. I think that speaks for itself!**

**Anyway, please enjoy this little chapterette! **

_Disclaimer: NCIS not mine._

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**Star of David**

_By doodlegirll_

***

**Chapter Eleven**

Ziva quickly found the cab waiting for her outside, the man inside listening to talk show on the radio. Ziva climbed into the backseat, telling the driver where to go.

As he drove, Ziva stared out the window at the passing lights and sights of the city. They were not new to her, but Ziva found she was now looking at them in a new way of thinking, a new light.

For the first time in her life, she felt free. Free to be the woman she had always wanted to be, not the woman her job as an assassin had forced her to be.

The cab pulled up the driveway of an impressive hotel, and Ziva climbed out. She walked into the front lobby, following the directions Gibbs had given her earlier in the evening when he and the others had departed from the hospital.

She found Abby's room fairly quickly, and knocked gently. If what Gibbs said was true, Abby would still be awake.

Sure enough, not ten seconds after she had knocked, the door swung open to reveal Abby. She squealed and hugged Ziva tightly before ushering her inside.

"I want to hear everything!" She said, plopping down onto the bed she had obviously dubbed hers. Cans of Mountain Dew and Coca Cola littered the room, and the TV blared a murder mystery while a stereo in the corner had one of Abby's CDs inside, and hard metal bounced off of every solid surface in the room.

"Everything what?" Ziva asked, confused.

"About Tony!" Abby said. "About you!"

"About Tony and me as individuals, or Tony and me together?"

"So it's true!"

"What is true?"

"That you and Tony are together!"

Ziva shook her head. "I am confused!"

Abby grinned.

"Did he kiss you yet?" She asked.

Ziva understood. "Ah." She said. "I see where this is going." She crossed the room, sitting down on the bed next to Abby's.

"Yes, he did kiss me." She said.

Abby's smile grew larger, if that were possible, and she leaned across the bed to hug Ziva.

"_Finally." _She said. "I thought I was going to have to revert to shoving you both in a closet and locking you in there til you guys decided to stop pretending."

_I'm tired of pretending._

"Gibbs did say you were threatening the two of us behind our backs." Ziva said as they pulled apart.

"Yeah!" Abby said, as though it were nothing new. "I've been thinking up weird ways to get you two together for _years_!"

Ziva chuckled. "Now that you know about me and Tony, I have a question for you."

"What?"

"What of you and McGee?"

Abby's eyes widened, and she blinked.

"What about me and McGee?" She asked.

Ziva gave her a knowing look. "Come on, Abby. Do you think that we have not seen the looks you give each other, or the way you act around each other? I saw that his laptop was beside your CD player at the hospital when you arrived."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean we were _sitting _next to each other…!"

Ziva smiled at her. "Tony and I have been discussing this for years. We know that you have a fling for McGee, and he for you."

Abby did not deny it right away. "Okay, well, even if I did, it could never work!" She said.

"And why not?"

"Because…we're so _different._" Abby tried to explain. "I mean, he's sort of shy and I'm just out there, and he's quiet while I blast my music so loud they could hear it at the Lincoln Memorial! It just wouldn't work!"

"Yes, but that does not matter in attraction, Abby." Ziva said. "Tony and I are different."

"Yeah…"

"So what is the difference about Tony and I being different and you and McGee being different?"

Abby opened her mouth to answer, one finger in the air, but after a moment found that her mind was empty.

"Ooh, you're good." She said finally.

Ziva smiled. "Thank you." She said. "I try."

Abby bounced slightly on the bed. "So what do you want to do?" She asked. "I've had so much caffeine I'll be up for the rest of the night!"

"Gibbs mentioned." Ziva said. "I took a nap all afternoon, and part of the morning, so it appears that you and I are in the same canoe."

"I think you mean boat, Ziva." Abby corrected.

"Yes, that." Ziva said. "And I am getting a bit peckish. Shall we find the vending machines?"

Abby grinned. "We shall!"

***

The next morning, Ziva awoke to the sound of running water. Blinking her eyes open, it took her only a split second to remember where she was, and to realize that the running water was Abby taking a shower. She sat up on her bed, yawning.

She set her bare feet on the floor, crossing the room to the full length mirror. Peering at her reflection, she scowled at her unruly hair, searching around for the brush Abby had brought her in her duffle bag.

She brushed out the curls, gently, and borrowed a rubber band from Abby's collection, pulling it back into her trademark ponytail, out of her face. She smiled into the mirror.

"That is better." She said.

Grabbing the duffle bag, she unpacked the clothes inside, quickly changing into them. They still fit, but with all the weight she had lost, Ziva found them to be just a bit on the large side.

Her stomach growled, and she looked around towards the mini-fridge that she and Abby had stocked full of snacks and soda the night before. She and Abby had indeed been up to the wee hours of the morning – it was four forty five before Ziva finally crashed – catching up. Ziva had finally had someone to pour her heart out to, telling her about her ordeal aboard the ship, and her confrontation with her father. Abby was a good listener.

Then Abby had turned it around and told her what it had been like back at NCIS without her. It sounded like it had been hell, for everyone. She had had no idea her absence would strain so deeply among her friends.

Abby told her they had solved a couple homicides, one suicide, and helped reunite a kidnapped teenage boy with his family after a guy at his dad's job had gotten pissed off, but nothing new had really happened.

Everyone had suffered without her there. Tony had stopped cracking jokes as much, and sat at his desk all day and did his paperwork, without complaint. He wasn't late to work anymore, and no longer did he walk into the bullpen in his sweats and undershirt.

"He said that it had been hard." She said. "But he did not tell me that."

Abby had smiled. "That's because he didn't want anyone to know how bad it was eating him. Tony's always been that way."

Ziva glanced at the bedside clock. 1:23 PM. She had never slept so late, ever.

She opened the door to the mini-fridge, finding nothing that appeared appetizing.

She finally pulled out a bottled water, sipping it. She would pick something up at the hospital in the cafeteria.

The door to the bathroom clicked open, and Abby appeared, her hair wet, her makeup gone. She grinned at Ziva.

"Morning, sleepyhead!" She said.

"I would not call it morning, but hello to you, too, Abby."

"Sorry for not waking you up." Abby apologized. "You looked really tired."

"I was." Ziva said. "But I am awake now."

There was a knock at the door, and Abby and Ziva exchanged a glance before Ziva crossed the room to open it.

Outside stood Leon Vance.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Scuito, Ms. David." He said, nodding at the two women. "I presume you slept well?"

"We did." Ziva said. "Is there something wrong, Director?"

"I got a call from your father." He said to Ziva.

"Yes, and what did he want?"

"He's not happy about your returning to Gibbs' team. He has asked me to try and convince you to rethink your decision."

Ziva faced Vance with a steely glare.

"With all due respect, Director." She said. "But I will not be returning to Mossad. I will be returning to the States as soon as Tony is well enough to travel."

Vance's penetrating eyes stared at her for a moment.

"I knew that you would feel that way. But you must think of the terms, Ms. David. Your apartment was blown up. Where will you stay?"

Ziva swallowed. She hadn't thought of that…

"I will find a place." She said.

"She could stay with me." Abby piped up. Ziva and Vance turned to look at her. "I've got plenty of room."

"While that is noble, Ms. Scuito, there are other things to consider." Vance said. "Such as how you plan to get to work."

"Public transportation does not faze me." Ziva said. "Or I could find another car. Tony will need someone to get him to and from work…"

"That's another thing." Vance said. "When Gibbs left you behind last month you told him he had to choose between you and DiNozzo. Why the sudden change of heart?"

"He came to her rescue, Vance." Abby said, sounding exasperated. "He put his _life _on the line for her! If that doesn't gain somebody's trust back, nothing will!"

Ziva turned back to look at Vance, her eyes narrowed inquisitively.

"Am I to believe, Director, that you do not wish me to return to NCIS?"

Vance did not say anything, just stared Ziva down with a look that could have split stone.

"I see." Ziva said after a moment. "Well, I am sorry to hear this."

"It's not that I don't want you to come back, Ziva." Vance said. "You were one of the best damn agents NCIS has ever seen. You and DiNozzo were a good team. It's your father I don't want to have to deal with."

"You will not have to deal with my father." Ziva assured him. "When you talk to him again, you may tell him that I do not wish to speak with him, and that I will not, under any circumstances, be returning to Mossad. My loyalties lie with NCIS."

Vance sighed, and nodded. "He's not going to be happy about it, but if you wish to return to NCIS, you have my permission." He nodded at them. "I believe we are all going to take a trip to visit Agent DiNozzo in about an hour. We'll see you in the lobby."

"Goodbye, Director." Ziva said, and she shut the door as he walked away.

"I really don't like that guy." Abby said. "He always gave me the willies. He'll never be like Jenny."

"No." Ziva agreed. "There will never be another director like Jenny."


	13. Chapter 12

**May we all remember those that died on this fateful day eight years ago. **

**September 11, 2001 - Never forget. How quickly we do, and how easy it really is. **

**God bless America!**

_Disclaimer: NCIS not mine._

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**Star of David**

_By doodlegirll_

***

**Chapter Twelve**

There was a knock on the door, and Tony turned his head to face it. He grinned tiredly as Ziva stuck her head in.

"Are you awake?" She asked.

"Yeah, I'm awake." Tony answered her. "Been waiting for you to get here."

Ziva smiled as the rest of her body slid into the room, and she crossed the floor to stand next to him, planting a gentle kiss to his forehead.

"The others are here to see you." She said. "McGee brought you a burger."

His eyes lit up. "Good." He said. "I'm sick to death of this nasty hospital food!"

Ziva smiled and called out to their friends, and seconds later the rest of the team walked inside.

"Tony!" Abby said, nearly sprinting over to give Tony a gentle hug. "We were so worried!"

Tony winced. "Good to see you too, Abbs." He said.

Abby stood back. "Good hand, now!" She demanded.

"What?"

"Stick out your good hand!" She said.

Tony glanced at Ziva, who nodded, and stuck out his left hand. Abby slapped it, sending waves of pain through his body, but he held back the cry, wincing instead.

"Ow!" He said, drawing his hand back. "What was that for?!"

"For being stupid!" Abby scolded. "For almost getting yourself killed! I told you to be careful!"

"I was careful, Abbs." Tony said.

"Obviously you weren't careful enough!" Abby said. "You are so lucky you're hurt, or you would have gotten worse than that!"

Gibbs walked up behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Okay, Abby." He said. "Let the man have some air."

Abby glared at Gibbs, then looked back at Tony, hugging him again.

"I'm just glad you're okay." She said. "But don't ever do it again!"

"I don't plan to." Tony assured her. He looked past her at the rest of the team. McGee stepped forward, a lumpy yellow package in his hand.

"Figured you would probably want a burger." He said, handing it to Tony, who took it. "Hospital food is kinda…gross."

Tony smiled. "Thanks, McGoo." He said.

McGee offered him a half smile before stepping back, allowing Ducky to come forward.

"Well, my boy, it appears that you are feeling better." He said. "And it's good to see you."

"Same to you, Duck." Tony said. "Thanks for the advice."

Ducky looked at him warmly. "You are most welcome, Anthony." He said. "I am glad to see that you have put it to good use."

Tony glanced at Ziva, then looked back at Ducky. "Yeah, I did."

At this point, Vance had made his way forward, and he forced a smile as he faced Tony, who swallowed and let his smiling face fall to a more serious one.

"Agent DiNozzo."

"Director Vance."

Everyone could feel the electricity in the air, and they looked at each other nervously. The question no one wanted to voice hung between them, danced in their eyes: Was Vance going to fire Tony?

"I hope you're feeling better." Vance said.

"I've had my share of shitty days," Tony said. "And shitty injuries."

"What you did was less than smart, Agent DiNozzo." Vance said. "In fact, I'd say it was pretty damn stupid."

"Yeah, it was." Tony admitted. "But I did it anyway."

"You also pissed off a certain Eli David." Vance reminded him.

"And had fun doing it."

Vance didn't catch the light smirk that played on Ziva's lips.

"In any case, Agent DiNozzo, what you did was selfish and put not only yourself in danger, but also NCIS as a whole. Negotiating with terrorists without authorization…"

Tony interrupted him. "With all due respect, Director," he said. "While it may have been stupid, I didn't do it because I'm selfish, but because I felt responsible for what Officer David was going through, and I felt that I owed it to her to rescue her."

Vance did not look like he appreciated Tony's interruption. "_But,_" he said, finally. "I do want to thank you for what you did."

Tony's eyebrows rose in surprise, as did the rest of his colleagues'.

"Um…sorry, what?" He said after a minute.

"Thank you." Vance repeated. "For putting your life on the line to save another, I'm nominating you for the Medal of Honor."

Tony blinked, staring at Vance with unbelieving eyes.

"With all due respect," he said after a minute, softly. "I did it because I love her."

Vance nodded. "I know." He said. "But you went above and beyond the call of duty to save another NCIS agent, and I think you deserve it."

Tony stuttered for a moment, which the others found very un-Tonyish. Finally, he stopped, and nodded to Vance.

"Thank you, sir." He said.

Vance nodded again, and without another word, turned and left the rest of the team speechless in his wake.

***

Later that night, after Gibbs and the others had left, all was quiet in the tiny hospital room. Tony had passed out about an hour ago into a peaceful slumber, and Ziva was left alone with her thoughts.

She had stolen Tony's shower, and had climbed into the pajamas she had brought with her, intending to spend the night. Her broken ribs were bandaged, and now she was nestled into one of the chairs across the room, her knees drawn up to her chest as best she could. She stared at the sleeping Tony, watching his chest rise and fall steadily, listening to his still pained breathing. The doctors had come in not long ago and changed his bandaging, and Ziva could not keep the sick feeling from the pit of her stomach as she stared at the wounds. His shoulder was horribly discolored, a deep velvety indigo with an odd orange tint to it. Stitches curled around it in an almost curlicue pattern, and dried blood seeped out from between one or two.

Ziva could not bear to see his chest.

But, at least, now he was sleeping, peacefully.

She smiled, remembering the earlier events of the day. After Vance's departure, no one had been sure what to say at first until Abby had said he still gave her the willies, and everyone laughed. Gibbs, while still his usual self, was beaming in pride for his agent, and she knew Tony knew it.

Later, when they had had a moment alone, she had climbed onto the bed like she had done when he was still unconscious after his surgery, and had almost fallen asleep there, her head on his shoulder, listening to his heartbeat.

"Abby proposed that I move in and live with her." Ziva said after a little while.

Tony shifted so that he could look down at her.

"Abby?" He asked.

"Yes." Ziva answered. "Vance showed up at our hotel room and asked me about my confrontation with my father. He suggested that I reconsider."

"What did you tell him?"

"I told him that Gibbs had asked me to return, and that I did not plan to return to Mossad."

"And he approved?"

Ziva nodded. "Yes."

"Hm." Tony said. "Vance is in a good mood…"

After another minute or two, he spoke again.

"You could always come and stay with me." He said, softly.

Ziva raised an inquiring eyebrow. "I was hoping to find my own apartment." She said. "I only planned to stay with Abby until then."

"Or you could do that." Tony agreed. "But what would you drive?"

"Ride the bus, or walk. Run, perhaps."

"Then you'd be all sweaty." Tony teased.

"At least I would not walk into the room in my undershirt with my hair looking like a porcuswine." She said.

"Porcu_pine_." Tony corrected.

"Yes, that thing."

She smiled to herself, resting her chin on her knees.

She had spoken briefly to the doctors, and they had said they wanted to start Tony on his physical therapy tomorrow, if he was up to it. They wanted him to build his strength up, so that he could go home. No doubt he was getting on their nerves…

_Home. _Ziva thought fondly. She would be back in DC, with the people she loved around her, finally able to be herself. Before long she would be back at her desk at NCIS, resuming life as usual.

She looked up, alarmed, when she heard Tony shuffle on the bed, hissing when he moved too much. Instantly, her feet were on the floor and she was across the room.

"Are you alright?" She whispered as his eyes opened, blinking up at her.

"Been better." He said, his voice strained. "Dammit…"

"I will call a doctor for you." Ziva offered, but Tony shook his head.

"All they'll want to do is pump me full of morphine." He said. "I'll be fine."

Stubborn as always, it seemed.

"If you are not careful, you will reopen them." She said.

"I know." Tony said, wincing again. "Tomorrow is going to suck."

Ziva smiled. "I will be there." She said. "Do not worry. You will be fine."

"I hope so." He said, smiling. "I'd really like to get home soon."

"So would I." Ziva said. "So would I."

Tony looked at her intently for a minute before he silently clenched his teeth, and moved over. Settling down, he patted the bed next to him, gesturing for Ziva to join him. She carefully climbed onto the bed, setting her head on the good part of his chest while his arm snaked around her waist protectively.

Just as she was about to drift off, she heard Tony's voice in her ear.

"Zi?"

"Yes, Tony?"

"I love you."

"I love you, too, Tony." She whispered. "Ani ochevet otcha."

Minutes later, both of them were asleep, and did not awaken until the nurses found them the next morning.


	14. Chapter 13

**WOW. THAT PREMIERE WAS AMAZING!!!!!!!! Kick-ass, man!! I cannot WAIT to see the Tivaness this season is sure to bring!! (I mean, the producers DID pretty much tell us it's going to happen...)**

**Anyway, I figured it was about time to wrap this one up, now that we all have season seven, and we don't need post-Aliyah fanfictions to fill the void that season six left us with. :) **

**Thank you to all who reviewed!! Your kind words and reviews and suggestions kept this story alive! (That, and my own personal need for something to occupy the lonely summer months with no NCIS!) Thanks so much!**

**I would also like to dedicate this fanfiction to my three best friends in the whole world that helped me come up with ideas when I got stuck: Lacey (for being my beta for a short time, and filling me in on factoids I didn't know), Nisan (for helping me come up with a plot line and _excellent _villian!) and Sophie (for helping me write the damn thing!). I could not have done it without you guys!**

**Here's to season seven!!! **

_Disclaimer: NCIS not mine._

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**Star of David**

_By doodlegirll_

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**Chapter Thirteen**

_Three weeks later…_

Time never was something Tony had stopped to contemplate. For him, time had never seemed in his favor. It had always seemed that it was on the dark side, taunting him with cookies. It always seemed to slip away from him, right through his fingers like sand.

But now, time was everything.

He and the team had been back in the States for two weeks now, immediately following his release from the Ichilov Hospital. He had taken a week to get back into the swing of things, and to build up his strength, before finally returning to his desk at NCIS, and all the paperwork stacked on top.

Upon their return, the entire squad room stood to their feet, clapping. Vance had nominated him for the Medal of Honor, and the ceremony was to be held sometime within the next couple weeks.

Ziva had moved into his apartment with him, and he had found himself growing used to the idea of her staying there forever. Every time the prospect came up, however, he quickly pushed the idea from his mind. Marriage was definitely not something either of them wanted to even consider for the time being. For now, they were content with just seeing each other every day, and being able to curl up on the couch together at night, warm and safe in each other's arms.

Tony grimaced as he rotated his shoulder in his sling. His wounds had healed nicely, thought the deeper cuts from Amir's knife and the gunshot would and had left scars. His fractured arm still hurt like hell, and he still had trouble sleeping (suffering from the occasional nightmare), but he was learning to live with it, the pain meds his doctor had prescribed weren't so bad, either.

The cab pulled up to the curb, and Tony paid the man before stepping out into the DC air and steady rain. He closed the door, and the cab pulled off.

Usually, Ziva would have driven him to wherever it was he needed to go, but this was one occasion where Ziva could not accompany him. Not only did he still fear her driving style – some things about his ninja would never change – but this particular trip across town had something to do with her, and she wasn't supposed to know about it. So he had slipped out of work early, saying he needed a little time to himself, telling her he'd meet up with her back at home.

He turned to the door in front of him, and pushed it open, stepping into the small shop, shaking some of the water from his clothes. Water droplets splattered across the doormat, and Tony smiled as the man behind the counter greeted him.

"Well, well, I was wondering if you would ever come and pick up this order!" Said the man.

"Hey, Frank." Tony said as he stepped closer. "Had a little trouble getting out of work. Sorry I'm late."

Frank shook his head. "Nothing to be sorry for!" He said. He reached under the counter and brought out a small black box. "It's all finished, and ready to go."

Tony picked up the box, peeking at the shining object inside. He grinned, closing the box again.

"Thanks for doing this for me, Frank." He said. "It means a lot."

"I know it does." Frank assured him.

Tony paid him, and left with the small box tucked protectively in his coat pocket. He flagged down another cab, and climbed inside, telling him his address.

Abby had planned another one of her "Family Fun Nights" over at her place that night, and had invited everyone to join her for dinner and movies, even Vance. Everyone agreed to come, and glancing at his watch, Tony saw that he only had an hour to get ready for it once he got home. It wasn't like he had to dress up or anything – after all, it _was _Abby – but he had still had a long day at NCIS, and he wanted to change into something more comfortable than the clothes he wore now.

The cab pulled up to his apartment a few minutes later, and Tony hopped out, rushing into the building as fast as he could as it began to pour rain by the bucketful.

He emerged into his apartment drenched. His hair clung to his forehead, and he slipped his jacket from his shoulders, making sure the box in the pocket was still well hidden.

Ziva emerged a few seconds later.

"Abby called." She said. "She said that if you are late again she will shave your head in your sleep."

Tony's hand went to his hair. "I like my hair." He protested.

Ziva smiled. "Do not worry." She said. "I will not let her."

Tony grinned as he crossed the room to plant a kiss on her lips. "Good to know my ninja's got my back!"

Ziva poked him in the ribs. "Still, I do not want to keep Abby and the others waiting. Go get ready."

Tony kissed her one last time before doing as she said, and went to his room to change. He pulled on a pair of jeans, and slipped on a light cotton button up (as frivolous things like t-shirts were pretty much off limits until his arm and chest were completely healed). In ten minutes time, he walked back into the kitchen, barefoot, but dressed.

"You do know that you have the feet of Largefoot?" Ziva said upon noticing his wiggling toes.

"Bigfoot, Zee-vah." Tony corrected. "And yes, I am very well aware of that. I was in a size eleven before eighth grade."

Ziva laughed as she finished packing the last of the food she and Tony were taking as a contribution to the party. "Are you ready?" She asked.

Tony chewed the inside of his lip. "Not quite." He said after a moment. He left Ziva and walked back into the hall where his jacket hung. He pulled out the little black box, fumbling with it for a few moments before he walked back into the kitchen.

"I have something for you."

Ziva's eyebrows creased. "What are you talking about?" She asked. "It is not a holiday, is it?"

Tony shook his head. "No, it's not a holiday." He said. "But there's something I've been meaning to give you since we got home."

He handed her the little box, and watched as she looked at it, confused.

"Tony, what is this?" She asked.

"Open it and see." He whispered, stepping closer to her.

Ziva stared at him for a moment before she opened the lid of the box. Her breath caught in her throat at the small object in front of her, tears welling in her brown eyes.

It was her Star of David. The chain she had previously worn it on was whole and complete once again, and the charm had been polished to the point where it looked almost new, despite the years she had worn it. It looked as though Amir's grubby fingers had never touched it, never stolen it from her and used it as a tool to lead Tony into what had almost been his death.

"I had Gibbs take it from the hospital for me." Tony explained when Ziva did not speak. "The doctors wouldn't let me wear it, they said, because of my chest, but I had plans to give it back to you as soon as we got home anyway. I took it up to my friend Frank uptown and had him fix the chain and polish it up a bit."

"Tony…" Ziva said, suddenly turning around to hug him fiercely. "Thank you."

Tony's good arm wound around her, and the two held each other tightly for a moment.

"That necklace means something to both of us." He whispered into her hair. "It gave me strength when I went to find you."

"It was Tali's." Ziva explained. "My mother gave it to her when she turned eight, and after she died, my father…" Tony heard the bitter edge of her voice at the mention of Eli, whom they had not seen or spoken to since Ziva's confrontation with him back in Tel Aviv. "My father gave it to me. He knew how much Tali meant to me…" She looked up at him, her brown eyes meeting his green. "I thought I would never see it again when Amir took it from me, but then you showed up with it around your neck…" She smiled. "Thank you."

Tony smiled back at her. "You're welcome." He glanced up at the clock on the wall. "Are you going to put it on?" He asked.

Ziva took a step back, and gingerly picked up the necklace from inside the box. Sweeping her hair back, she fastened the chain around her neck, and the charm fell to its stationary spot on her chest.

Finally, finally, she felt whole again.

Tony smiled as he took her hand in his. "Now _that's _my ninja!" He said, jokingly.

Ziva's eyes sparkled as she placed a quick kiss on his lips.

"And you, my little hairy butt, will be bald before the end of the night if we do not hurry soon." She said. "I think it is best if we hurry and get to Abby's party."

Tony nodded. "That we do."

Grabbing their coats, the two headed out, hand in hand, into the pouring rain towards the parking lot.

"Ani ochevet otcha." Tony whispered in Ziva's ear as they climbed into Ziva's Cooper.

"I love you, too, Tony." Ziva whispered back. "I love you, too."


End file.
